G b e (L a m e l o t G l a s s ie s:

E DI T E D BY E RN E ST R H YS .

DE Q U I N C E Y S C O N FE S S I O N S & c

, .
 C O N FE S S I O N S

O F AN

EN GL I SH O PI U M -
E AT E R .

( Wi t /
z

L e va n a
,

/
T ze Ro sz em ez a m a n d Free m a so ns
' '

No t es ,

f ro m t h e Po cket Bo ok of a L a t e Opiu m Ea t er e t c )
-
-
.
,

By T H O MAS p E Q LI I N C E Y .

V I
\ TH I N T R O D UC T O RY N O T E

BY W I L L I A M S H A R P .

L O N DO N :

W AL TE R S C O T T, 24 W ARW I CK L A N E,
PAT E R N O S T E R R o ma

1 8 86 .
 CO N TE N TS .

PAG E
C ON F ESS I O N S O F AN E N GL I S H O PI U M EA TE R
-

TH E P L E A S U R ES O F O P I U M 48

I N T RO DUC T I O N T O T H E PA I N S O F OPI U M 64

L E V ANA AN D O U R L A D I ES O F S ORRO W 105

U N W I N D I N G T H E A CCU R S E D C HA I N 114

NO TES F RO M T H E P O C KE T BOO K O F A L A T E OPI U M E A I E R

- -
'

1 24

O N T H E KN O C K I N G A T T H E GA T E I N MA C BE T H 1 42

O N SU I C I D E 1 49

RO S I C R UC I AN S AN D FR EE MA S O N
S 156

KAN T O N N A T I O NA L C HA RA C T E R 2 36

A NA L E C TS F RO M RI C H TE R 254

3L 5 58 .
 DE Q U I N CEY

N t he n arro w range of tha t fa s c ina ting

s e c ti o n of l i te ra tu r e whi ch deal s w i t h t h e
in t imat e self dis cl o s u re o f the s oul t he
-
,

Co nfessio n s of a n E ng lish Opiu m E a t er -

hol d s c on spi c u o us pl a ce Marc us A urelius

.
,

R ous s eau A miel t h e mos t di verse pe r

, ,
-

so n a l it ie s ha v e an abidin g c l aim u pon o u r imagina ti v e

sy mpa t h y W e c o me fa c e t o fa c e w i t h t he moral t he
.
,

i n te lle c t ual the spiri t ual em o t ion s O f men who pa s s before

,

u s w i t h t he inmo st se c re t s o f t heir hear t s l a id bare t o

c u ri o u s e y e s and w e are ele c t ried by w ha t we s ee T he .

n a t u r al s o u nds o f ear t h wind in t he bran c h e s a wa v e

,

fall i n g o n t he s e a s hore appeal t o all bu t n o t in the same

,

way as d o es s o m e sub tl e c h o rd s t r u c k b y a g r ea t musi c ian ,

s o me s t r i n g wi th it s pat he t i c C o x h u m a n e t hr i lling fro m

,

t h e t o u c h o f t h e m a s t e r V i o li n is t
. The i n ner li ves o f o ur
ki n d a re t o u s as t h e s e na t u ral s o unds t o be in t erpre t e d
b u t b y v ery fe w w hile like t hese re v ealing passag e s o f
l y ri c passi o n are t he rare i n di v i d u al s whose s o u l s and

bodie s are o n e for t heir S piri t i s no t hi dd en bu t a s

, , ,
vi DE Q UI N CE Y .

t heir bod y is v isibl e T o t his rare ban d D e Q uin c ey b y

, .

,

v i r t e f his C f i n b l gs
u o o n ess o s, e on .

L a dor u tt er s a ne and t rue s ay ing wh en i n

n of his o ne

Imaginary C n v er s a t ion s he makes V i tt oria C olonna remark

o

tha t the human hear t is a world of poe t ry 3 t he imagina

t i n i s only i ts a tmosphere I t i s be cau s e so mu ch f
o .

o

D e Q uin c ey s t work is
es s en t iall y human t ha t he

nes so

ha s t aken and is l ike l y t o re t ain the high pla c e in t he realm

o f l i t era t ure whi c h i s undeniabl y hi s U ni v ersal human .

in t ere st herein l ies t he s ole se c re t f li t erary immor t ali ty o

the re v ela t ion f t h e in d i vidual h ear t i ts str ggl e s an d

o ,
u

sorrows i ts keen human sy mpa thie s in c ont a c t wi t h a di f c ul t

,

world n d i g an unre st ful ea s e in t ha t power f dreaming

,
n

o

whi c h i s fami l iar and y e t

so m y st eriou s an d whose SO ,

v isionary emana tion s ha v e ne v er c ea s e d t in t ere st in c e o S

waking an d s l eeping rs t were Gi v en t he s e t hing s and .

,

f or their int erpreta ti n t h magi c f a s ty l e l ike D e Q uin c ey s

o e o

a t i ts bes t and t he re s u l t i s
,
f t h e rares t in l i t era o ne o

t ure work w h o s e appea l

a t of spa c e t f t ime is
ou , ou o ,

perennial una ff e c t ed by t he c hanging fashion s an d perio d s

,

o f t he l i t erary w orld .

T ho s e port ion s f D e Q uin c ey s w rk whi c h bear mos t

o

o

clearly t he impr ss ion f hi s wn indi v i d uali ty an d whi c h

e o o ,

T ime s eem s t o be gra d ually s epara ting fro m hi s o ther

wri t ings d e s er v e t o be c re d i t e d wi t h a higher O riginali ty
,

than ha s c ommonl y been a w arded t o t hem I n e stima t ing .

t he po si tion f t he au t hor f t he C nf i n f n Op i m
o o o ess o s o a u

E t a er an d t he Su p i i d P f di in u l i tera t ure mos t

s r a e ro u n s o r ,

wri t er s ha v e s omewha t ignored for ins tan c e his i d p d , ,

n e en

en cy o f c on t emporary inue c e in re s pe c t f t he s e exq isi t e n o u

mas t erpie c e s f E nglish pro s e o H ha s been c ommonl y . e

reg rde d a s in s ome s or t an e cc en t ri c a tt a c hmen t t o t he

a

L ake S c hool an d e s pe c iall y a s an in t ere sting bu t v ery

,

 DE Q UI N CE Y
. vii
deri v a ti v e di s c iple of C oleridge 3 wherea s f o r t he i n dubi t abl y
c hara c teris ti c par t o f his wri ti n g i t w o uld be a n i c e
anal y sis w hi ch d i s c o v ered hi s indeb t edne ss t o any O f h i s
c o n t emporarie s A s a t hinker D e Q uin c ey was we may
.
, ,

admi t i n uen c e d by C oleridge 3 he wa s a c onsis t en t dis c iple

,

in t ha t v ein o f e cc l e s ias t i c al me taph y s i c s and de c ep t i v e

s c hol as ti c ism whi c h is asso c ia t ed wi t h t he l a tt er in h i s
l eas t i l lus t rious aspe c t ;
he was t he adj e c ti v e wi ttil y

,

O bserv e d b y Mr L es l ie S tephen
.

of whi c h C ol e ridge
,

was t h e s ubs t an t i v e
B u t t hen i t i s not af ter all f o r h i s
.
, ,

p o wer s o f reasoning or his serv i c e s t o philo s o ph y t ha t

D e Q uin c ey s repu t at i o n i s t o day s o world wid e W i t h

- -
.

e v ery in t en t ion o f being a grea t thinker i t mu st h e ,

c onfe ss e d tha t D e Q uin c ey failed in s ubs t ant ia ting hi s

c laim 3 he wa s di ff u s e often where he o ugh t t o ha v e
been dire c t s eeme d t o be u tt erly in c apab l e a s i t ha s been
, ,

s aid o f c on c entra tion and wa s no t e ven infallible in t he

, ,

l ogi c whi c h he so paraded T he perv a d ing in t e l le c t uali ty

.

t ha t gi v e s digni ty and gra c e t o his wri ting in general was ,

ho w e v er l argel y d ue t o h i s habi t of exer c isi n g himse l f in

,

al l s c holarl y di s c ipli ne I n t he early page s o f t h e Co nfessio

.

he say s o f him s e lf
Fo r m y o wn par t w i t hou t brea c h o f
, ,

t ru th o r modes ty I may a frm t ha t m y life ha s been o n

, ,

t he wh o le t he l ife o f a phil o sopher F rom m y birt h I wa s

,
.

mad e an in t elle c t ual c rea t ure 3 and in t elle c t ual in t he

highe st s en s e m y purs u i ts and plea s ure s ha v e bee n e v en ,

from m y s choolboy d a y s
T he resul tan t a t mosph e re o f
.

c ul t ure e v ery where presen t in hi s works gi v e s a pe c uliar

digni ty t o his wri ting and thi s may be gra tefull y a cc e p t ed
,

w i t hou t any disposi tion t o regard him in the ligh t o f a

l ogi c ian o r phil o sopher 3 bu t in t his large r sen se o f a
grea t w ri t er s in t elle c t ua l power he was m o re i n deb ted t o

,

the grea t spiri ts of Gree c e and E li z abe than E nglan d than

viii DE Q UI NCE Y .

t o his own immedia t e c o n t e mp o rarie s A nd aft e r all h a s

.

be e n d o n e t o t ra c e t he s o u r c e s o f w ha t is h i gh e s t in his
mul t ifari o u s w o r k t he re ad e r will be ap t t o re tire in
,

d e spair e v en as he w o u ld b e fain t o d o f r o m a tt emp ti n g t o

,

t r a c e t he l i t erary d e ri v a ti o n o f t he impalpable i n spi ra t i o n

O f H e in e s Tra u m bild er o r Mil t on s n o ble pr o se harm o n i es

'

.

Th e o n l y t hing t ha t t hro w s m u c h ligh t o n D e Q ui n c e y s

'

li t erary q u ali t ies i s De Q uin c e y hims e lf 3 more is t o be

learn t b y a c aref u l exami n a t ion in t o t he re v ela tions o f his
men t al c o ns t i t u t ion gi v en in t he Co nfessi o ns a n d o t her
au tobi o graphi c al por ti o ns o f his w ri t i n gs t h a n from an y
o t her s our c e and t he r e ader who c an gi v e t he t rue in t er
,

re t a t io n O f wha t i s t o be f o und t here wi l l ha v e go t a t

p
as mu c h o f t he se c re t o f De Q u in c ey s remarkable pro se

produ c tion as c an be a tt ained b y na tural m e an s All t ha t .

i s m o s t deli c a t el y signi c an t in hi s life a s aff e ct ing hi s

li t erary st andpoin t i s t o be found c learl y if s o me w h a t ,

id e all y s t a ted in t he Co nfessio n s ; supplem e n ting t h e se

,

w i t h a brief a cco un t o f w ha t pre c eded and fo ll o wed a n d ,

lling up in some c ase s t he blanks in t he n ames o f pla c es

a n d person s t he wri t er be c o me s f u ll y re v eal e d t o u s
,
Th e .

a c t u al narra t i v e in t he C o nfessi o n s o pens in t he y ear 1 7 9 2 ,

w i th t he d e at h o f D e Q u in c ey s fa ther
M y fa t her
.

died when I wa s abou t s e v en y ears O ld and l e ft me ,

t o t he c are o f fo ur g u ardian s T he se v en pre v ious y ears

.

migh t n o t se e m a t rs t o f mu c h imp o rt an c e bu t in t h e ,

c ase o f an imagina t i v e na t ure like D e Q u i n c ey s t he im

pressi o ns o f ea rl y c h i ldh o o d pla y a leadi n g pa r t in t h e

m ou lding o f g e nius a n d t emperamen t and o v er a n d ,

o v er a gai n the w ri t er has re v ert ed t o t he unspeak

abl e in u e n ce o f his c hildish ass o c ia t i o ns up o n t h e d re a m
en c ha n t men t s o f tha t j us t s u b tle and migh ty o piu m

, ,

t ha t b e in v oked w i t h s u c h dread an d magni c e n t eff e c t .

 DE Q U I N CE Y . ix
D e Q ui n c e y was born o n t h e 1 5t h o f A ug u s t 1 7 8 5 ,

and o n t he a u t h o ri ty o f Professor M a ss o n n o t a t
, ,

C reen h a y as ha s u s u all y been s t a t ed b u t a t a

,

pre t t v ,

ru s t i c d welli n g c all e d Th e Fa rm whi c h l i k e G re e n h a y

, , ,

h o we v e r wa s si t ua t e d j u s t o u t side Man c hes t er

,

T he .

ge neral impres s i o n he c o n v e y s o f him s elf w ri t e s Pro

,

f e sso r Ma s son
from his s e c o nd or t hird y ear o n w ards I s
, ,

tha t o f a v ery diminu ti ve shy sensi t i v e and dreamy c hild

, , , ,

mo ving ab o u t when o u t o f doors al w ay s o n gre e n t urf o r

, ,

in garden walk s and w i t hin do o r s alway s am o n g y oung

-
,

bro t her s and S is ters in a house o f w e al t h y and e v en

luxuri o u s elegan c e
T he imag i n a t i v e ass o cia t ions of the
.

c hild life in t he l i ttle gro u p o f bro t hers and S is t er s

-

u n der t he rule o f t he s t a tel y and re n ed if some ,

wha t uns y mp a t h e t i c mo ther ; t h e c hildish fa n tasie s and t he ,

d re ad c omi n g o f dea th t o t ou c h e v er aft erwards wi t h s o mbre

inspira t ion t h e feeling f o r all t he t ransien t reali tie s o f life 3
t he s e bear v ery in t ima t el y o n t he genius o f o u r
au th o r in ma n y way s D e Q u in c e y s m o t h e r espe c iall y is
.

a gure tha t mus t in no wise be ign o r ed ; o f s t ri ct ly

ort h o d o x r e spe c t abili ty S he wa s de c ien t in t h e n e
,

sy mpa t hy w hi c h w o uld ha v e e n abled her t o t rea t t o

t he be st resul t a sensi t i v e dream y boy l i ke the ,

y o u n g D e Q uin c ey Profe s sor Masson qu o t e s t h e

.

a c c o u n t gi v en h im b y a lad y herself
a s t ri ct ,

religi o n is t o f t he an tiq u e e v angeli c a l ty pe wh o had k n o w n

,

Mrs De Q ui n c ey w hi c h is v ery in t e r es t ing in t his c o n

.
,

S h e re t ai n ed t o t h e las t he s a y s an o pin i o n

n e c t io n .
, ,

of De Q uin c ey w hi c h sh e had pr o b a bl y c augh t f r o m

c o ll o qu ies w i t h hi s m o t her c on c ern i ng him in his m o s t
d ubio u s d a y s A s t at el y w o ma n e v ery in c h a lad y m o v i n g
.
, ,

in t he bes t c oun ty c i rcles and wi t h her f e e t o n t h e R o c k

,

o f Age s s u c h w as D e Q ui n c e y s
a n d alwa y s had been
, ,
 DE Q UI N CE

mother 3 a s f o r t he s on c elebri ty o r no c e l ebri ty wha t wa s

, ,

he bu t a waif
H ow far the inuen c e of t hi s st at el y mo ther t ended b y t he
rule o f O ppos i t e s t o de v e l op in t he s en s i t i ve boy t he s eed s
o f t he B ohemian ins t in c t whi c h wa s SO c oun t er t o t h e per

fee t re spe c tabil i ty o f her o wn t emperamen t we c an onl y ,

s urmi s e L ooking forwar d t o t he t ime when D e Q uin c ey

.

ran awa y from s c h ool and c onsi d ering hi s mo th er s a tti t ude

,

t oward s him then i t i s cl ear a t a nyra t e tha t sh e had no

,

l i tt l e s hare in making hi s life wha t i t ul t ima t el y t urned o u t

t o be T he mo st prominen t episode in the s e c hildish day s
.

in t heir la t er period when t he home life proper wa s gi v ing

,
-

wa y t o s c hool l ife wa s t he a d ven t o f an e ld er bro ther

-
, ,

W illiam wh o had hi t her t o been a way from home bu t wa s

, ,

brough t ba c k t o be pla c e d un d er a t u t or wi th t he y ounger ,

T om .

N e v er wa s s u c h a boy as thi s W ill iam D e Q uin c ey ,

s u c h a boi st erou s frank pugili st i c c l e v er in v en t i v e so n o f

, , , ,

e terna l ra c ke t c ommen ts Profe ss o r Ma ss on and t he s t ory

, ,

o f t he wa y in whi c h h e l e d an d c omman d e d an d inuen c e d

an d v i c timise d t he s en si t i v e l i ttle fel lo w v e y ears hi s ,

j unior as told b y D e Q uin c ey i s ful l of humour and t ender

, ,

in t eres t
. H i s geniu s for m is chief am o unt ed t o in spir
a tion t his unfor tuna t e v i c tim say s o f him H ere again
,

.

t he inuen c e of thi s imperiou s y oung s u l tan o f t he

famil y
wa s a l l impor t an t in i ts eff e c t upon D e
-

Q uin c ey who ho we v er t hinks i t wa s no t a l t o ge ther a

, , ,

misfor t une t ha t t hi s vision of full blooded l ife and a c t i o n

-

c ro ssed hi s pa th t o st ir him o ut of hi s st a t e o f ra ther

morbid re v erie A f e w y ear s la ter an d t hi s high Spiri t ed
.
,
-

b o y wa s t o end his c areer s uddenl y in an a tt a c k of ty phu s

fe ver while the w eakl y y ounger bro t her li ved on s ur v i v i n g
, ,

him by more t han half a c en t ury T he feeling engendered

- -
.

in D e Q uin c ey in hi s rela t ion s wi th , rst h i s st a t ely mo t her ,

 D E Q UI NC E Y . xi

and then thi s high spiri t ed bro ther o f bei n g in some sor t
-

a n Ishmaeli t e

ph y si c all y c o n t emp tibl e
,

res t ing o n a ,

fo u n da tion o f u tt er de s pi c ableness ough t t o be no t ed

,

c a r e fully a s gi v ing t he ke y t o m u c h in hi s aft e r d e v elop

,
-

men t Pro fessor Masson s referen c e t o t he frequen t u s e in

.

De Q uin c ey s v o c abulary of t he w ord Pa ria h mea n i n g

,

s o c ial ou t c as t i s sig n i c an t in t hi s respe c t l eadi n g us t o

, ,

c onsider in how far h i s pers o nal sense o f a kind o f Pa ri a h

ship led t o his s y mpa t h y a s S O memorabl y expressed in t he
,

Co nfessio n s w i t h all t ho s e in s orrow o r d i stress wi t h al l

, ,

ou t c a sts wha t soe v er from the pale o f respe c t abili ty an d

eart hl y h appine ss .

I t i s unne c e ss ary t o enlarge v ery mu c h upon t he la ter

s chool day s rs t a t t he B ath Grammar Sch o o l (Mrs De
-

,
'

Q u in c ey ha v ing e l e cte d t o mo v e from Greenb ay t o l i v e a t

B at h) then a t a pri v a te s chool a t W ink e l d in W il tshire
, , ,

and then a t t he Man c hes t er Grammar Sc hool from w h i c h h e ,

nall y es c aped o n his rs t ad v en t ure in t o B o hemia T he .

spiri t ual and li t erary si gni c an c e o f this period o f hi s l ife i s

su f c ien tl y pre s er v ed in t he C o nfessions in a wa y inde e d ,

w hi c h lea v e s li ttle o r nothing t o be sa i d by the biograph e r .

O n e holida y in t erlude in t hese s c h o o l day s i s wor th y o f -

specia l not e h o we ver as i t i s omi tted as no t c oming w i thin

, ,

the imme diat e s c ope o f the Co nfessio ns while i t c ons ti tu te s ,

the onl y approa c h t o a roma n c e epi s ode t o be found in -

these y ou thfu l day s I t o c c urred in the y ear 1 8 0 0 wh e n

.
,

a b o y f r iend L o rd W es tport a sked De Q uin c e y t o a e c om

-

, ,

pan y him from E ton t o his fa t her s es ta t e s in t he W es t o f

Ireland 3 and o n tha t par t o f the j ourn e y whi c h ha d t o be

performed o n t he Grand C anal t he b o y s me t t wo ladies , ,

the wido w ed C oun tes s o f E rro l in de e p m o urni n g and , ,

h er S i ster Mi ss B lake t o whom De Q u in c ey w a s in t rodu c e d

,

,

by his frien d W i th th e y ounger lad y D e Q uin c ey a t

.
xii DE Q UI NCE Y .

on c e s t ru c k up an un c on v en t i o na l a c quai n t an c e and t alked ,

ab o u t t he E n glish p o e t s f o r t he w hole o f o n e aftern o o n ,

a n d as o n e resul t o f t hese dis c ussi o n s i t is e v iden t tha t

, ,

B l a k e be c ame a name o f n o o rdinary S ig n i c an c e f o r s o me

t ime hen cefo r ward I n his A u tobi o graph y De Q u i n c e y
.

no tes F ro m thi s day I w as an al tered c reat ure n e v er ,

again relapsi n g i n to t he c ar e l e ss irre e ct ive mind o f c hild

,

ho o d
. B ey o n d t his and o th e r ep i s o de s o f le ss impor tan c e
t o be gleaned fr o m t he A u to biog r aph y all t ha t is need ,

f ul c an be deri v e d f r o m t h e C o nfessio n s them s el v e s .

In any c as e i t is o nl y ne c essar y t o ll u p a few o f

t h e blanks l e f t b y De Q u i n c e y f o r reas o n s v alid a t t he
t i m e bu t wh i c h hardly h o ld go o d a t so l o ng a pe ri o d aft e r
,

wards T hese bla n k s so f a r as t h e y r e la t e t o hi s s c h o o l

.
,

d ay s t he r e ader w ill be able t o c o mple t e from wha t ha s

,

al r e a d y been s t a t ed ; as for ins t an c e t ha t i t wa s t he

, ,

Ma n c he st er Grammar S c h o o l fro m w hi c h he made the

e s c ape so graphi c all y des c rib e d in t he C o nfessio n s De .

Q u i n c ey p u r p o sel y omi t s here o n e in c iden t in c o n n e c ti o n

w i t h t he m em o rable es c ape tha t is howe v er w o r t h y o f
, ,

r e c o rd H is m o t h e r ha v i n g go t tired o f B a t h had m o v ed
.

t o a h o use in C hes t er c all e d t he Pr i o r y a n d i t w as t hi t her

, ,

t ha t he wen t rs t o f all in t he h o p e s o f maki n g some

p r opi t ia t o ry arra n geme n t w hi c h f o rt u na t el y f o r him t he
, , ,

pres e n c e o f his u n c le a C o lonel Pens o n his m o ther s o nl y

, ,

sur v i v i n g br o ther r e ndered su cc essf ul w h e r e his m o t her s

, ,

s e v ere n o t i o ns o f de c o rum w o uld as sur e dl y o nl y ha v e

led t o se v e ri ty a n d absol u t e ref u sal I t was a rr a n ged
.

a cc o rd ingl y t ha t t h e r u n a w ay sho u ld ha v e an all o w an c e o f

a gu i n e a a w e e k wi t h lib e r ty t o wa n der a t will T o the
-
, .

s e q u e n t w a n deri n gs in W ales su cc e e ds agai n t he fam o u s

L o ndon epis o de whi c h ex t ended in p o i n t o f t ime o nl y f r o m
N o v ember 1 8 0 2 t o t he s ummer o f 1 8 0 3 bu t whi c h O cc upi e s,
 DE Q UI N CE Y . xiii

i n trinsi c all y s o large a proport ion o f hi s y ou t hfu l his t o ry .

The h o use imm o r talised in t he Co nfessio n sthe hou se

w i th o u t h o us e h o ld o r es tablishmen t and c on t a i n

,

ing
o nl y a t able and a fe w c hairs
whi c h ga v e ,

the h o mele ss lad shel t er w as in Greek St ree t Soho ;

, ,

the name o f t he mas ter o f the hou s e wi t h hi s mix e d ,

q u a li t i e s o f honour and dish o no u r i t s eem s more deli c a t e

,

t o lea v e for e v er in t he an o n y mi ty in whi c h De Q uin c e y

l e ft i t R emembering t he man y c ha n ge s t ha t ha v e t aken
.

pla c e in L ondon t h o roughfar e s sin c e t he da t e o f De

Q uin c ey s boy ish s oj o urn amids t them R e gen t S tree t for

i n s t an c e being y e t unbuil t a t t ha t time there are stil l man y

,

o f hi s haun ts t ha t c an be t ra c ed b y t he z e alou s st uden t 3

Gre e k S tree t S o h o and O xfor d S tree t in espe c ial remain

, , , ,

pra ct i c all y mu c h t h e same .

Keepi n g an e y e chie y t o t he main epi s odes t he nex t ,

period t o be no t ed in D e Q uin c e y s life i s t ha t o f hi s

s oj o urn a t W o rc es t e r C o ll e ge O xfo rd whi t her he wen t in

, ,

the au t umn o f 1 8 0 3 b e i ng t hen j u st eigh t een y ear s o l d

, .

A t O xford he does n o t s e em t o ha v e made him s e lf

c o n s pi c uou s in any wa y passing mos t o f h i s t ime in
,

a st ud i ou s se c lusi o n whi c h b o re frui t in a t horough a c

,
.

quai n t an c e wi th German li t era ture S O import an t in h i s ,

li terary d e v el o pmen t and in a more c omple t e gra s p o f his

,

o w n li tera t ure as a w h o le beside a marked general ad v an c e in

,

ac ademi c pro c ien cy L i t tl e m o re is kn o w n h o w e v er o f hi s

.
, ,

O xfo rd da y s t han t h a t o n his o w n c o n fe ssi o n i t w a s t hen t ha t

, ,

h e rs t r e s or t ed t o O pi u m and as e v id e n c e of his a c ad e m i c
,

a c quir e men t s tha t he w en t u p for his B A exam i n a t i o n

, .
,

a n d a c qui t t ed himself wi t h s u c h d is t in c t i o n in t he w r i tt e n

par t o f i t t ha t o n e o f t h e examiner s is said t o ha v e t old t h e

W or c es t er C o llege au t hori tie s t ha t t he y had se n t up t he
cle v ere s t man he had e v er e n c oun t ered ; bu t De Q uin c e y ,
xiv DE Q UI N CE Y

for s ome rea s on o r o ther ne v er c ompl e t ed hi s e x a m in a t i

,

and ne v er t ook hi s degree s u dd enl y t aking him s elf

,

s omewhere pre sumabl y t o L on d on in o n e o f hi s re stle ss

, ,

ts o f opium v agran cy -
H i s a c tual re siden cy a t t he
.

U ni v ers i t y wi th c er t ain s imilar in t er v al s t o t ha t narra t ed

, ,

s eem s t o ha v e l a st ed t ill 1 8 0 8 B efore t hi s ho we ver in.

, ,

addi t ion t o li t erary a d v en t ure s in L ondon w h ere he had ,

a l read y en c oun t ere d C harl e s L amb h e ha d made a pil grim ,

age in s ear c h o f C oleri d ge who s e pro s e work s h a d begun t o

,

inuen c e him c on si d erabl y 3 h a v ing s u cc eede d in nding t he

philosopher and ex poe t a t B ridge wa t er he s peedi ly e st ab
-

l ish e d him s e l f in t he posi tion o f de v ou t di s c iple T hi s .

a c quain t an c e had impor t an t f urt h er resul ts for an impen d ,

in g c our s e o f l e c t ure s a t t he R oy al In st i t u t ion in L on d on

pre v en t ed C o l eridge from a cc om pany ing hi s w ife an d t hree
c hildren w h o were boun d for t he l ake s t o st ay wi th Sou t he y
,

a t K e s wi c k an d t hi s ga v e D e Q uin c ey the c han c e

,

t o pro ff er hi s s er vi c e s as e s c or t t o t he par ty whi c h were ,

a cc e p t ed ; thi s wa s t he mean s o f in t rodu c ing him t o

W ordswor th an d hi s li tt le c ir c le a t Gra s mere where wi t h , ,

hi s t ra v elling party he st ay ed for t wo n igh ts in t he poe t s

,

c o tt age whi c h he wa s af t er t o o cc up y hims e lf and d ream

, ,

man y un s peakable d ream s in I t wa s onl y t wo y ear s l a t er

.
,

in N o v ember 1 8 0 9 t ha t he es t ablishe d himself t here in t he

, ,

h o me whi c h was t o be hi s for more t han twen ty y ears ,

ha v ing o n hi s c o mi n g o f age three y ear s befo re man aged

, ,

t o pu t his p e c uniar y arrangemen t s o n a be tt er fo o t ing ,

whi c h i s gener o usl y a tt e st e d in d eed b y hi s gif t under a v ei l ,

o f anon y mi ty o f t hree hundre d pound s t o C o leri d ge w h o m

, ,

he ha d di s c o v ered t o be in a st a t e o f m e lan chol y owi n g t o

embarra ss ed c ir c ums t an c e s T he y ear 1 8 0 8 S pen t c hie y in
.
,

L o n don in in t er c ourse wi t h L amb H a z li tt C o l eridg e and , , ,

o t her l ea d i ng men o f le tt ers wi t h o cc a siona l re t urn s t o

,
 DE Q UI N CE Y
. xv

O xford , ma y be looked upon a s t he c lima t eri o y ear o f De

Q uin c ey s fo rma t i v e peri o d t he peri o d w hi c h en d s wi t h

the earl y y ear s o f hi s es tablishmen t a t Gra smere .

T he remainder o f D e Q uin c ey s hi st ory i s s oon t old f o r

, ,

al though f ull o f in teres t t he remai ni ng y ear s had l i tt l e t o do

,

wi th the fo rmat i o n o f hi s c hara c t er an d li terar y fa c u l t y and ,

may t herefo re be gl a n c e d o v er more rapidl y O n ly t he rs t .

y ear s of his L ake land life mu st n o t be o v e rlooked a s belonging

-

v ery emphati c ally t o t h e format i v e period 3 a n d i t i s insi st

en tl y imp o rt an t tha t t he reader s houl d realise t he c ommunion
w i th C o leridge W ordswor th in a l ess d egree S ou t hey and
, , , , ,

in t he v ery r st d egree wi t h C h rist opher N or t h t ha t

,

Jo h n W i l son o f t remendou s ph y sique w ho play e d T i t an t o

, ,

De Q uin c ey s pigmy in numberle ss ramble s in t ha t

n o rt h
c oun t rie
A s Profe ss or Ma s son remark s i t mus t ha v e
.
,

be e n a s igh t t o se e t he t wo t oge t her in their j oin t peregrin

a t io n s o v er t he hi ll s t h e li tt le D e Q uin c e y t rudging side
,

by side wi t h his maj e sti c c omrade ! De Q u in c e y was how ,

e ver a t all t ime s a grea t pede st rian and able t o h o ld hi s

, ,

o wn ea s il y e v en in hi s o l d age wi t h t he be st o f wa l ker s
, , .

Thu s pas sed s e v eral y ears spen t f o r t he mos t par t in se v ere

,

stud y espe c iall y of t he German me t aph y s i c ian s

,
and in ,

that c ons t an t v ain s truggle agains t t he e v er in c reasi n g -

O pium c ra v ing whi c h rea c he d t he s tage o f co n rmed

-
,

suprema cy t o the t errible ex t en t o f 8 0 0 0 dro ps o f

,

laudanum o r abou t s e v en wine glas s ful s d a il y in t he

,
-
,

y ear 1 8 1 3in some re s pe c ts a fa t all y s ig n i c an t y ear

in hi s hi st ory The y ears pas s e d un til 1 8 1 6 w hen he
.
,

m arried t he M of the Co nfessio nsM a rgare t Simp

so n t he daugh t er o f
,
a neighbouring farmer who s erv es ,

so c harmingl y t o c omple t e tha t pi c tu re o f a c o tt age

in terior wi t h i t s snug reside and o ther c omfo r table

,

i tem s s ke t c he d by D e Q uin c ey wi t h s u c h s u cc ess o f

,
x vi DE Q UI N CE Y .

pi c turesque reali s a tion T his st ruggl e wi th t he banefu l

.

i n uen c e s o f O pi u m aft er a peri o d in whi c h all hope o f

,

li t erary a cc omplishmen t seemed los t f o r e v er in t he imbe c ile

w e akness o f wil l produ c e d b y t he drug rea c hed a more ,

fa v ourabl e stage in 1 8 1 9 w hen pe c uniary dif c ul t ie s c om

,

e l l e d D e Q uin c e y t o a nal se v ere e ff o r t t o o v ert hro w i ts

p
s uprema cy in order t o mars h al hi s fa c u l tie s and t urn t hem
t o a cc oun t in brea d winning H is rst proj e ct e d work s
-
.
,

l ike mos t r st proj e c ts o f the embry o au thor w ere o n a c on ,

sid e ra b l e s c a l e a s t h e mere t i t le s o f tw o under t aki n g s o n e

, ,

of a phil o s ophi c al work D e E m e n d a t io ne H umani

,

I n t e ll e ct u s

ano t her t he resul t o f hi s en thu sias t i c in t er e s t
,

in R i c ardo and Poli ti c al E c onom y

Prolegomena t o all
,

F u t ure Sy stem s o f Po li ti c al E c onom y t es tify were o n a

, ,

fairl y ambi t iou s s c al e 3 bu t in the fa c e o f urgen t d ii cu l t ie s

he wa s obliged t o lea v e t h e la te st of t he t wo pr oj e c ts w h ere
a pre v ious t o f t he O pium t orpor had s t ay ed i t and wa s ,

glad t o a cc ep t off er O f t he e d i t orship o f a lo c a l C on s er va ti v e

paper Th e Westm o rla n d Ga z ett e whi c h aft er c er t ain
, , ,

nego t iat ion s ende d in hi s perfo rming t he du t ie s o f edi t or

,

in c hief fro m the Gra s mere domi c ile f o r a guinea a week !

- -

The edi torship for wha t e ver c ause t ermina t ed d id n o t las t

, ,

a y e ar bu t i t m a rk s a poin t o f depar t u re in De Q u in c ey s
,

l ife and t h e begin n ing o f t he peri o d o f li terary produ c t i o n

, ,

and i s impor ta n t a cc or d ingl y H en c ef o r th we se e De

.

Q uin c e y e m barke d upon t he f ull y c ommi tt ed v oy age

of the magaz ine c on t ribu tor and in t elle c t ual ha c k ,

a c areer whi c h in these day s i s t o o c ommon t o need d e sc rip

t i o n b u t w hi c h wa s t hen a mu c h rarer t hi n g I t wa s in
,
.

t h e newl y es t ab l ished L o n d o n Ma g a z i n e t o w hi c h K ea t s
-
, ,

t hen re c en tl y de c eased h ad c o n tribu t ed and w hi c h

, ,

numbered am o ng o ther c on t rib u t o r s C harles L amb H a z li tt

, , ,

A llan C u nningham
,
B arry C or n w all and T o m H o o d

, ,
xviii DE Q UI N CE Y
.

i n deed de t ailed re c o rd if there were onl y s pa c e f o r i t I n .

1 8 4 0 t he e ldes t Ma r gare t c onsul ting wi t h her bro t h e r

, ,

H o ra c e c on c e i v ed t he idea o f t aking t he c o tt age a t

,

L asswade c alled Ma v i s B ush whi c h is n o w so memorable

, ,

amo ng c elebra t ed c o tt ages a nd a t L a s swa d e w a s h en c e

,

f o rward t he c en t ral abode of t he e cc en t ri c l i tt le book worm ,

wh o se habi ts be c ame more and more u na cc oun t able and

w h imsi c al a s t he y ear s in c rea s ed upon h im .

T o realise D e Q uin c e y a s he appeare d in E dinburgh

d uring hi s l a t er y ears we ha v e onl y t o t urn t o t he numerou s
,

a c c oun ts a o rd e d b y t hose memb er s o f hi s o w n c raf t who

had t he good for tune t o en c oun t er him in t ha t c i ty O ne .

o f t he s e a cc oun ts from t he pen of t he la t e H il l B ur t on

, ,

m a y be gi v en a s an e s pe c ial l y v i v id pre s en t men t o f t he

O p i um E at er 3 i t refer s t o hi s appearan c e a t a dinner par ty
-

gi v en prin c ipally in his honour

T he fes ti vi t ie s writ es
.

,

H il l B urt on are far o n when a c ommo tion is heard in the

,

hall a s if some d o g o r o t her stra y animal had forc ed hi s

,

way in T he in stin c t o f a friendl y gue st tell s him o f t he

.

arri v al : he open s t he d o o r and fe t c he s in t he l i ttl e stranger

?
.

W ha t c an i t be A s t ree t bo y o f s ome sort ! H i s c o s

t ume in fa c t i s a boy s d u fe grea t c oa t v ery t hreadbare
, ,

, ,

wi t h a h o le in i t and bu tt o ned tigh t t o t he c hin where i t

, ,

mee ts t he fragmen ts o f a par t i c olo u red bel c her h a n dk e r -

c hief 3 o n hi s fee t are li st s hoe s c o v ere d wi t h snow for i t i s

a s t orm y win t er nigh t 3 and t he t rou s er s ls o m e o n e
, ,

s uggests tha t t hey are mere linen garmen ts bla ck e ned w i th

w ri t ing ink W ha t c an be t he t heor y of su c h a
?
-
.

c o stume T he S imples t t hi n g in t he world it c on s is t ed ,

of t he fragmen t s o f apparel neares t a t hand L e st i t

.

s houl d be w ondered why the t ender w a t c hfulnes s o f the

home c ir cle a t L a ss wad e had no t rendered su c h a st a t e o f
thi ng s impossibl e i t ough t t o be explai n ed tha t the o l d
,
 DE Q UI N CE Y . xix

v agran t impulse s w ere s till s t rong in D Q in c ey and th se e u ,

o

o ther exige c ie s f hi s w rk frequen tl y impelled h im t

n o o o

absen c es from t he L as s wade c o tt ag when he resort ed t o e,

t he l d plan f l dgi gs si ki g graduall y in t o a st a t e f

o o o n ,
n n o

u tt er d h bill and sa c ri c i g e v e ry thi g ex c ep t the igh t

s a ,
n n n

rambles whi c h s eem t ha v e ser v ed

,
a s rt f seed t im f
o as o o -
e o

ideas t o t he grand absorp ti n f the li t erary l t

,
B t o o a a us . u

af t er all v agarie s t here was t he ff c tiona t e gree t ing and

,
a e

t he h me c omf r t tha t t he girls had lway s t o o ff r a t

o o a e

Ma v is B sh w h i c h f rmed a xed c n t re ami d t he man y

u , o e

v i c issi tude s f thi s period By degree s the fam il y c irc le

o .

was dispers ed the t wo eldes t daugh t ers marry ing and t he

, ,

tw o s ur v i ving son s g ing t in t life t o mili tary

o ou o : o ne

s r v i c e in India t he t her as a do c t r t o B ra i l 3and ex c ep t

e ,
o o z

for o c c asional re turn v i s i ts the ho s h ld had for som e t ime ,

u e o

been redu c ed t o n daugh t er the y ounge st bef r t he o e , ,

o e

indomi t able li ttle soldier f le tt ers laid do w n h i s weap n s o o

a t la st D e Q uin c ey died
. the 8 t h f D e c ember 1 8 59 on o ,

from sheer w eaknes s f l d g d y ing howe v er n t a t o o a e, , ,

o

L ass w ade bu t a t lodging s in L o thian St ree t E dinburgh in

, , ,

the presen c e f two f his daugh ters n f whom h d been

o o , o e o a

ha stil y summoned fr m I reland o .

In t hinki g n t he ph y si c a l an d ment al s t ruggle c on

n o

tinned as t onishingl y w i t h t ha t frail l i ttle bod y in t l d age

so , , o o

it is ne c es s ary t l a y empha s i s n t he pai f l pe c liari t i es

o o n u u

o f s u c h a c on sti t u t i wi t h t he superadded pain s and

o n,

pe al t ies of O pium ; for t he read r is ap t t o o v erl ok t he

n e o

reall y unparalle l ed frail ty f D Q uin c ey s ph y si c al c on o e

di tion s H appil y t o w ards t he la tt er par t f hi s l ife he h ad

. o

been able t o eff e c t a c ompromise t S peak wi t h hi s ,

so o ,

familiar spi r i t t he migh t y ,

d sub tl e 3 d hi s l as t

an

an

y ears ex c ep t for t h n t r al i c rease f w eakness w ere

,
e a u n o ,

perhaps l es s painfu l than t hose f an y o t h r period f hi s o e o

xx DE Q UI N CE Y
.

l ife H e wa s for tuna t e t oward s t he la st t oo in ha v i n g

.
, ,

fallen in t o t he h a nd s o f m o re c on sidera t e people in t he

E dinburgh l odgings whi c h forme d his in t ermi tt en t B o he
,

mian re t rea t H i s e cc en t ri c habi ts i n c ompe t en c e in money

.
,

m a tters ph y s i c al helple s snes s and general s u s c ep tibili tie s

, , ,

had rend e red h im a t all t ime s an easy prey t o t he imp o si

t ion s o f landladie s 3 he i s known t o ha v e had fo ur di ff e ren t
s e ts o f l odging s a t o n e t ime o cc upied wi t h t he ex t raordinary
li tter o f book s and paper s t ha t he al w a y s a cc umu l a t ed in
hi s working quar t er s and i t may be imagine d in wha t s t a t e of
,

c onfusion and t repida tion he c ons tan tly l i v e d T hi s a cc u .

m u l a t io n u s ua l l y wen t o n un t i l t here was hardl y mo v ing o r

brea t h ing spa c e in t he room t hu s o cc upied un t il indeed he ,

wa s a s i t ha s been expres s ed s nowed up At N o 4 2

, .
.
,

L o t hian S tree t howe v er hi s fa v ouri t e and las t quar t er s in

, ,

E dinburgh he wa s in friendl y and c onsi d era t e keeping an d

, ,

i t is pleasan t t o know tha t hi s de c l ining y ear s were par tl y ,

for t hi s rea s on and par tl y f o r o t her rea s ons alread y hin t e d

,

a t more happil y c on d i t ione d t han t ho s e whi c h h a d gone

,

before .

T he l i t erary re s ul t o f t hi s l a t er peri o d was qui t e a s

remarkable allowing for t he grea t er originali ty o f t he rs t
,

appearan c e in t he Co nfessi o n s a s tha t o f an y o ther peri o d

,

in hi s l ife an d i t is e s pe c iall y no t able in t ha t D e Q ui n c ey s

,

c onne c t ion wi t h o n e publisher Mr Jame s H ogg had led in ,

.
,

1 8 53 t o t he r st v o lume o f a c olle c t ed edi t ion o f hi s work s ,

re v i s ed and edi t ed b y himself T his edi t ion S in c e re .

,

arra nged and c omple t ed o n be c oming t he proper ty o f ,

Mes s rs A (it C B la c k o f E dinburgh remain s n o w a s the

. . .
, ,

nished m onumen t o f D e Q uin c ey s l ife t o whi c h al l

,

st uden ts w h o wish t o be c ome thorough ly a c quain te d wi th

hi s li t erary pro d u c t ion s mu st re pair C on si d ering D e .

Q uin c ey s work a s a whole i t mus t be borne in mi n d t ha t

.
 DE Q UI N CE Y . xx l

i t is eminen t l y tha t o f a maga z ine c on t ribu t or wi t h the ,

spe c ial defe c ts and quali t ie s t ha t c hara c t eri s e wri ti n g s

produ c ed under t he c o ndi t ion s of periodi c al publi c a t i o n .

As a grea t mas t er in t ha t o t her harmony o f pro se t o

,

quo t e Dry den s ne phrase De Q uin c ey c anno t fai l t o be

,

c o nsidered b y all w h o read the Co nfessi o ns or t he mar v ello u s

f r agmen t O u r L a d ies of Sorro w I t i s unden iable t ha t .

mu c h o f hi s w o rk has not unna t urally lo st all a tt ra c ti v e

, ,

ness for la tt er day reader s t ha t t here are indeed la rge

-

por t ions o f i t w hi c h ha v e no t e v en t he mos t ordinary c harm

o f s t y le t o r e c ommend t hem mere ha c k work in d i e re n t l y
'
-

wri tt en . A t i ts p o or e s t ho w e v er t here is al way s an

, ,

in t ell e c t ual ba s i s D e Q uin c ey migh t a t t imes wri t e wi thou t

sty l e e v en in ba d sty l e bu t he ne v er spun v erbal web s o u t
, ,

o f no t hing W orki n g w i t h his hear t in his lab o ur wi t h hi s

.
,

poe ti c imagina t ion red he be c ame a m a s t er ar c hi t e c t o f

,
-

w o rd s a power p l ay ing in unri v alled fa shion wi t h t h e

sub tle ties an d S plendours o f o ur lang u age I n sombre .

imaginatio n in wha t may be c alled pa s siona t e pa t ho s he is

, ,

supreme amo n g mas t ers o f E nglish pro s e A t t imes .

,

indeed hi s ar t i s t o o c onspi c uou s wi t h a c orre s ponding

,

l e ss e n i n g o f e ff e c t up o n t he reader ; b u t e v en in the m o s t
ar t i c ial o f t hose mar v ell o us v isi o n ary passages dream ,

fugu e s a s he c alled t hem wha t mag n i c en c e o f spee c h t here

,

i s w ha t o v er w helming musi c ! Is t here in t he pro se

,

li t e ra ture o f imagi n a tion a more t hrilling pa ss age t han t ha t

las t Dre am c i t ed in Th e Pa ins of Opi u m t ha t dream

, ,

o peni n g wi t h i ts musi c o f pre para ti o n and o f awake n i n g

s uspen s e and endin g w i th darknes s an d ligh ts ; t empes t

,

and human fa c es c lasped han d s and hear t breaking par ting s

, ,
-
,

a n d t hen e v erlas t ing fare w ells l De Q u in c ey s high e s t

r e a ch howe v er i s n o t in t he Co nfessio ns bu t in Cu spir ia

, , ,

d e Profu n d is in t he mo st import an t o f t he se ct i o ns
, ,
xx ii DE Q UI N CE Y .

L An d O u r L a d i es
f T hi s magni c en t S o rro w
fragmen t
eva n a : o .

if t ha t c an be c alled a fragmen t whi c h t hough

brief i s c om ple t e whi c h in c on c ep t i n i s
so ,
epi c all y o so

grand w ould al ne s u f c e t o pr v e t he j s tness f t he

o o u o

c laim for D e Q uin c ey s b eing of t he g r ea t e st mas t rs f

o ne e o

E ngli s h pr se T he be st word tha t ha s been said up n O

o . o ur

L dia f S es o w ha s been u tt
o rro ered b y P rofes s or Masso n,

wi t h wh s e eloquen t summary f L
o this in tr du c t i n o e va n a o o

ma y t t i gl y c lo s en
[ ]
I t is pro s e poe t r y
.
3 bu t i t i s mor -
e .

I t i s a permanen t addi t i n t o t he m y t h logy f t he human o o o

ra c e A t he Gra c e s are three a s t he Fa te s are t hree a s

. s , ,

t he F urie s are t hree a s t he Mu s e s were rig i ally t hree,

o n ,

so man y t he v arie t ie s an d degree s f misery tha t t here are o

in t he world and t he prop r ti n s of t heir dis t ribu tion a m ng

,
o o o

man kind be represen t ed t o t h huma im gi a ti n for e v er

,
e n a n o

b y D e Q uin c ey s T hr e L a d ie s f Sorrow and his s ke tc h f

e o ,
o

t heir gure s and kingdom s .

The E dito r o f th is vo lu m e begs t o a ckno wl ed ge he re h is inde bted ness to

the f riend l y co u rtes y f
o Mes sr s A . . at C . Bl a ck ,f E doin b u r gh th e

Cop yrigh t - h o ld e rs a nd p u blis he rs o f th e wo rks f

o De Qu ince yin
pe rm it t in g h im to use in th is ed it io n o f t he Co nf essio n s the se ct io n of

the

Susp ir ia d 6 Prof u n d is ent it l ed , L e va n a : And O u r L a d ie s of

S orro w .
 T O T HE RE ADE R .

H E RE presen t y o u c ourt eous reader wi th t he

, ,

re c o rd o f a remarkable peri o d in m y life :

a cc o rding t o m y appli c a t i o n o f i t I t rus t t ha t
,

i t w ill pro v e no t mer e l y a n in t ere st i n g r e c ord

, ,

bu t in a c onsiderable degree u s eful an d ins t ru c t i v e In

, , .

t ha t hope i t is tha t I ha v e dra w n i t up : an d tha t mu st be

m y ap o logy f o r breaki n g t hro u gh tha t deli c a t e a n d honour

able reser v e whi c h f o r t he m o s t part res t rain s us from t he
, , ,

p u bl i c exposure o f o u r o w n error s a n d in rm it ie s N o thi n g

.
,

i n d e e d i s more re v o l t i n g t o E nglish feeli n gs t han the

, ,

spe c t a c l e o f a hum a n b e ing o b tr u di n g o n o u r no ti c e his

m o ral ul c ers o r s c ars and t ea r i n g a w ay t ha t de c en t
,

drapery w hi c h t ime o r ind u lgen c e t o human frail ty may

,

, ,

hav e d ra w n o v er them : a cc ordin gl y t he gre a ter par t o f

,

ou r c o n fe ssio ns (t ha t is sp o n t an e ou s and ex t ra j udi cial

,
-

c o n fe ssio n s) p r o c e e d f r o m demire ps ad v e n t u r ers o r

, ,

Sw indler s : and for a n y su c h a c ts o f gra t u i t o us s e l f

xxi v T O T H E RE A DE RU

humilia tion from t h o s e who c an be s uppo s ed in sy mpa t h y

wi th t he de c e n t and s elf re spe c ting par t o f so c ie ty we
-

m u s t l o ok t o Fren c h li t era t ure or t o t ha t par t o f t he ,

G e r man w hi c h is t ain t ed wi th the spuriou s and defe ct i v e

se n sibili ty o f t he F ren c h A ll this I fe el so fo r c ibl y and
.
,

so ner v o u sl y am I ali v e t o reproa c h o f thi s t enden cy t ha t ,

I h a v e for many mon th s he s i ta t ed abou t t he proprie t y o f

all o wing t his o r an y par t o f m y narra t i v e t o c ome befo re
, ,

t h e publi c ey e un t il af t er m y dea th (when for man y

, ,

rea s o n s t he w h ole will be pub l i shed ) an d i t i s no t wi thou t

,

a n anxiou s re v ie w o f t he rea s on s for and agains t t hi s st ep , ,

t ha t I ha v e a t las t c on c lu d e d o n t aking i t
, , .

Gui l t an d misery shrink b y a na tural in stin c t from, ,

p u bli c not i c e : the y c our t pri v a cy and s oli t ude : and e v en ,

in t heir c hoi c e o f a gra v e wi l l s ome time s s eque st er them

,

s el v e s from th e general popula tion of t he c hurchy ard a s if ,

de clining t o claim fe l lowship w i t h t h e grea t famil y o f man ,

an d wi s hing (in the a e ct in g l anguage o f Mr W or d s wor t h) .

Hu m b l y t o e x pre ss
"
A p ni t
e e nt al i l o nel i ness .

I t i s wel l upon t he whol e an d for t h e in tere st o f u s all

, , ,

t hat i t s houl d be so : nor wou l d I willingl y in m y o wn ,

pers on manifes t a di s regard o f s u c h sal u t a rv feel ing s 3 nor

,

in a c t o r word do a ny t hing t o weaken t hem b u t o n t he o n e ,

ha n d a s m y s elf a cc u s a t ion d oe s no t amoun t t o a c onfes s ion

,
-

o f guil t so o n t he o t her i t is po s sib l e t ha t

, , , if i t did t he , ,

bene t re s ul ti n g t o o ther s from t he re c ord o f an experien c e

,

pur c ha s e d a t so h ea v y a pri c e migh t c ompen s a t e b y a v as t

, ,
 xv i T O TH E R E A DE R .

shall be res t ri ct ed t o su c h a s aim a t the ex c i t e men t o f

p o si t i v e pleasure .

G uil t t h e r e fo r e I d o n o t a c kno wledge 3 and if I did

, , , ,

i t is p o ss i ble tha t I m igh t s t ill res o l v e o n the p r esen t a ct o f

c o n fessi o n in c o nsidera ti o n o f t he ser v i c e w h i c h I m a y
,

the r e b y re n der t o the whole clas s o f o piu m e a t ers But

?
.

w ho are they R eader I am sorry t o say a v ery numer , ,

o u s c la ss indeed . O f t his I be c ame c o n vin c e d s ome y ear s

a go ,
b y c ompu t ing a t tha t t ime t he number o f t hose in
, ,

o n e s ma l l c la s s o f E nglish s o c ie t y (t he cla s s o f men dis t in

g u is h e d f o r t alen ts o r ,
of eminen t s t a t i o n ) w h o were kn o w n ,

to me ,
dire c t l y o r indire c tl y a s o pium ea t ers ; s u c h f o r
,
-

i n s t an c e a s t he eloquen t and bene v o len t the l at e d e an

of 3 L o rd 3 Mr t he phil os o pher ; a la t e
und e r s e c re t ary o f st a t e ( w ho des c ribed t o me t he sensa ti o n
-

whi c h rst dro v e him t o t he u s e o f O pi u m in t he v ery s ame ,

words as t he dean of v iz

t ha t he fel t a s though
.
,

ra t s were gnawing and abrading t he c o a ts o f his

Mr .
3 and man y o t hers hardl y less known w h o m i t ,

woul d be t edi o us t o men t i o n N ow if o n e c l ass c om .

, ,

p a ra t iv e l
y so limi t ed c ould ,furnish s o man y s c ores o f c a s es

and h a t wi t hin t he knowledge o f o n e single inqui r er i t

( t
) ,

was a na t ural inferen c e t ha t the e n tire p o pula t i o n o f E n g

,

la n d would furnish a pr o por tionable n u mb e r T he s o u n d .

ness o f t his inferen c e h o we v er I doub t ed un t il s o me fa c t s

, , ,

be c ame known t o me w hi c h sa t is e d m e tha t i t w as n o t

,

in c orre c t I wil l m e n t ion t wo : 1 T hree respe c t able L o n

. .

d on druggis ts in widel y remo t e quar ters o f L ondon from

,
-

who m I happene d la t e l y t o be pur c hasing s mall quan t i t ies

 T O TH E RE A DE R .
xxvii
of o pi um ass u red me tha t t he number o f a m a teu r o pi u m
,

ea t e r s (as I may t erm them ) w a s a t thi s t ime i m mense 3 and , ,

t h a t the di f c ul ty o f d i st ingu ishi n g these pers o n s t o w h o m ,

habi t h a d rendered opium ne c e s sary from su c h as w e re ,

p u r c ha si n g i t wi t h a v iew t o s u i c id e o cc a s ioned t hem da i l y ,

t ro u ble an d dispu tes T his e v iden c e respe ct ed L ondon

.

o n l y B u t 2 (w hi c h will p o ssibl y su r pris e t he reader

.
, .

m ore ) s ome y ear s ago o n pa s si n g t hro u gh Man c hes t er I

, ,

w a s in formed b y s e v eral c o tt on manufa c t urer s tha t their -

,

work people were rapidl y ge tt ing in t o the pra c t i c e o f

-

O pium ea t ing ; so mu c h so tha t o n a S a t urday aft ernoon

-

t he c oun t ers o f t he druggis ts were st rewed wi t h pill s o f

o ne , t wo o r three grain s in preparation for t he known
, ,

demand o f t he e v eni n g T he immedia te o cc a s i o n o f t hi s

.

p r a cti c e was the lo w ne ss o f wage s whi c h a t tha t time ,

w o u ld no t allo w them t o i n dulge in a l e o r Spiri ts : and ,

wage s rising i t may be though t t ha t this pra c t i c e would

,

c e ase : b u t a s I do no t readil y belie v e tha t an y man ha v ing ,

on c e t a sted the di v ine luxuries o f O pium w ill aft erwards ,

d e s c end t o t he g r o ss and mort al enj oy men t s o f a l c ohol I ,

t ake it f o r g ra n t ed ,

Th a t t h o se ca t n o w, wh o ne evr ate b ef o re ;
An d t h o se wh o al wy a s a t e, n o w e a t t he m o r e.
"

Indeed t he fas cina t ing power s o f opi u m are admi tte d ,

e ve n by medi c al wri ters wh o are i t s grea t es t enem i es :

,

th us for in stan c e A wsit e r ap o the c ary t o Green wi c h H os

, , ,

pi tal in his E ssay o n t he E ff e c ts of O pium (published in

,

the y ear 1 7 6 3 when a tt emp t ing t o explain wh y Mead

, ,
xxvii i T O TH E R E A DE R .

had n o t been s u f c ien t l y expli c i t on t he proper t ie s c oun t er

,

agen t s e tc o f t his drug expre ss e s him s e l f in t he fo llo w ing

,
.
, ,

m y s t erious t erms (gt wva v r a

Perhaps he th o u gh t
t he subj e c t o f t oo d eli c at e a na t ure t o be made c ommon ;
and a s man y peop l e migh t t hen indis c rimina t el y use i t i t ,

w o uld t ake from t ha t ne c e ss ary fear an d c au t ion w hi c h ,

S h o uld pre v en t t heir experien c ing t he ex t en s i v e po w er o f

t his drug : f o r there a re m a n y properties in it u n iversa lly
,

kn o wn , th a t wo u ld h a bi tu a te th e u se, a n d m a ke i t m o re i n

re
q u es t wi th us tha n t h e Tu rks them se hres : re s the
ul t of

whi c h knowledge he adds mus t pro v e a general m isf o r

,

,

t une .

In the ne c e ss i ty o f t hi s c on clu s ion I d o n o t
c o n c ur : bu t upon t ha t poin t I Shal l ha v e o cc a sion t o s peak
a t t he c lo s e o f m y c onfe ss ions where I s ha ll pres en t t he
,

reader wi t h t he m ora l o f m y narra t i v e .

 C O N E S S I O N S

O F AN

E G L I S H O PI U M -
E AT E R

R
P EL IMI N ARY C O NF E SSI O N S .

H E SE prelimin a ry c o n fessions o r i n t rodu c tory

,

na r ra t i v e o f t h e y o u thfu l ad ven t u res w hi c h

la i d the fou n d a tion o f t he w ri t er s habi t o f

O pi u m ea t ing in af t er life it has been j udged

-

p r o per t o prem ise f o r t hree se v e ral reas o n s :

,

1 A s fo r es t all in g t ha t qu e s t i o n and gi v ing i t a sa t is

.
K
.
,

fa c t o ry an swer w hi c h els e w o uld painf ully o b t r ude i t self in

,

t h e c o urse o f t h e O pium C onf e ssi o ns

H o w c ame an y

re s o l ved
,

co uld hard ly fail b y the ind i g n a t i o n w hi c h i t w o uld be ap t

,

t o raise as aga i n s t an a c t o f w an t o n fo ll y t o i n t e r fere w i t h

,

th a t degre e o f sy mpa t hy w hic h is n e c essary in any c a s e t o

an au t hor s p u rpose s

.
 C ONFES S I O NS O F A N

2 . A s furnishi n g a some pa r t s o f t ha t t re m e n ke y t o
d o u s s c e n e ry whi c h aft er ward s peo pled t he dreams o f t he
O p i um ea t er -
.

3 A s c rea ting s o me pre v io u s in t e res t o f a per s ona l s o r t

.

in t h e c o n f e ssi n g s u bj e ct apar t from t he ma tt er o f t he ,

c o nfe ssi o ns w hi c h c a n n o t fail t o ren d e r t he c o nfess i o n s

,

t hemsel v es m o re i n t e r e s ti n g If a m a n w h o se t alk i s o f

.

o xen

sho u ld be c o me an O pi u m ea te r t he probabili ty i s
,
-

, ,

tha t (if he is n o t t o o d u ll t o dream a t all) h e will dream

ab o u t o xen : w hereas in t he c ase befo re him t he read e r , ,

w i ll n d t ha t t h e O pi u m ea ter b o as t e t h hims e lf t o be a -

ph i los o pher ; and a c c o r di ngl y t ha t t h e phan t asmago ria of ,

his d r e ams (w aki n g o r sle e pi n g day d r e ams or nigh t dreams) ,

- -

i s sui table t o o n e who in tha t c hara c te r ,

Hum a n i n ih il a se a l ie n um p ut at.

For amongs t t h c ndi tion s w hi c h he de ms i dispen s ab l e

e o e n

t o t h e sus t aini g f any claim t t he t i t le f ph i l s pher is

n o o o o o

no t merel y t he possession f a s pe rb in t elle c t in i t s o u

a n ly t i f n c t i
a s (i whi c h par t f t h pr t ension s h w
c u on n o e e , o

e v er E gla d c an f
,
n s ome ge era t i n s S h w bu t f w
n or n o o e

claiman t s ; a t leas t he is n t a w r f y kn w n c andida t e ,

o a e o an o

for t his h ur w h c an be s ty l d empha ti c all y a

o no o bt l e su e

t hin k w i th t he ex c ep tion f S m u l T y l C l idg

er, o a e a or o er e,

an d in a narro w r d par t men t f t h gh t w i t h t he r c en t

e e o ou , e

ot "
illus t r i us ex c p i n f D id R i d ) bu t also n s u c h a
e o o av ca r o o

c on st i t t i n f t h m
u o l fa c l t ie s as shall gi v e him an
o e o ra u ,

A t h ird x ce p t i o n m igh t p e rh a ps h a ve b e e n a d d e d : a nd m y re a so n
e

f o r n o t a d d i ng t h a t e x c e p t i o n is ch i e y b e ca use it wa s o n l y in h is
j u ve n i l e e ff o r t s t h a t t h e wri t e r wh o m I a l l u d e t o e x pres sl y a d d re sse d

i
h m se l f t o ph i l o so ph i c al rip r p w r h a vi ng b n l l
t h e m es ; his e o e s ee a

d ed ic at ed (o n v rye e xc u a bl a n d very i n t l li gi b l e gr u nd u nd r t h e
s e e o s, e

p re se nt d ir ct i
e on of t h p o p ul r m i n d in E ngl a n d ) t o c ri t i c i m a nd t h
e a s e
 ENGL I S H OPI UM E A TE R -
.
3

i n ner e ye and p o w e r o f in t u i ti o n f o r t he v i s ion and t h e

m y st erie s o f o u r human na t ure : tha t c on st i t u t ion o f
fa c u l ti e s in sh o rt whi c h (am o n gs t all t he ge nera t i o n s o f
, ,

men t ha t fro m t he begi n n ing o f t ime ha v e depl o y ed in t o

life a s i t were u pon t his plane t) o u r E nglish p o e t s ha v e
, ,

po s s e s s ed in t he highes t degree and S c o tt is h Pro fes s or s
"

in the l o wes t .

opium ea t er ; and ha v e s uff ered v ery unj us tl y

-
, ,

o f m y a c q u ain t an c e fr o m being repu t ed t o ha v e brough t

,

u pon m y self a ll t he s u ff e ring s w hi c h I s hal l ha v e t o re c o rd ,

b y a long c ours e o f ind u lgen c e in t hi s pra c t i c e pure l y f o r t he

sake o f c r e a t ing an ar ti c ia l st a t e o f plea s urable ex c i temen t .

T hi s h o we ver is a
, , e

i s tha t for nearl y t en years I did o c c asi o nall y t ake O pium

W T rue i t .

f o r t he s ake o f t he exquisi t e pleas u re i t ga v e me : bu t so ,

long a s I t ook i t w i t h thi s v ie w I was eff e c t uall y pro t e cted ,

fro m all ma t erial bad c on s equen c e s by t he ne c e s si ty o f ,

in terp o sing l ong in terv al s be t ween t he s e v era l a c ts o f in d ul ~

gen c e in order t o rene w t he plea s urable s ensa ti o n s I t wa s

, .

n o t f o r t he purpose o f c rea t ing p l easure bu t o f mi t igating ,

degree t ha t I rst jega n m m e o pi um ,

a s a n ar ti c le o f d ail y di e t In the twen ty eigh th y ear o f .

-
- . .

m y age a m o st painful aff e c t ion o f th e st om ach . Mll iChL

, _

hb d rSt experien c ed abou t t en y ear s before a t t a c ked me in ,

Fi ne Art s is reaso n a p a rt h w ver I d ub t wh t h r h e i n t

. Th , o e , o e e s o

r t h r t o b c n i d r d a n a cut e t h i nk r t h n ub t l n I t is
a e e o s e e e a a s e o e. ,

b ides a gr t d r wb k o n h i m t ery v r p h i l
e s, ea a acp h i c l subj t s as o e o so a ec s,

t h t h h s b vi usl y n t h a d t h
a e a o d va nt g o f
o r g ul a r h l t i c
o e a a e a e sc o as

e d c t io n h h
u a n o t re d Pl t in h is y u t h ( wh i ch m t l i k l y w
e as a a o o os e as

o nl y h i m i f rt u n ) ; b u t n i t h r h a h re a d K n t in h is m n h
s s o e e d e s e a a oo

(wh i ch is h i f ul t ) s a .

I d i d i n a ny all u i o n t o e xisting pr f esso r

s a o f wh m i n d e e d I
s o s, o

k no w o nl y o ne .
4 C ONFE SSIONS O F A N

re a L st ren t h Thi s aff ection had originally been caused

g g .

by o f hunger su ff ered in my boyi sh d ay s

, .

D urin g the s eason 0 e and r edundant happiness w hi ch

succeed ed (that is from eighteen to twenty four) it had
,
-

slumbered for the three following yea r s it had revived at

d ep re ss ion
you t hf ul s uff er
ing s which rst produced thi s derange m ent o f the stomach
, ,

were intere sting in the m sel v e s and in the circumstances

,

that attended them I shall here briey retrace them

,
.

My father d ied when I w a s abo ut seven years o l d and ,

left me to the ca r e o f four guardians I was sent to variou s .

s chools great and small 3 and w a s very (

,
W ed
x

for my clas sical attainment s especiall for m k no wl e d ge o f

,

Greek . A t thir t een I wrote Greek with ea s e and at

W my com m and o f that language was so great tha t I ,

not only compo sed Greek ver ses in lyric metres but could ,

convers e in Greek uently a n d without embarra ssm ent

,

a n accompli shment which I ha v e not since met with in any

scholar of my time s and which in my case was owing t o

, , ,

the p r actice o f daily rea d ing o ff the newspapers into the

best Greek I could furni s h e x tem po re for the necessity o f
ran sacking my memory a n d invention for all sor t s and ,

combination s o f pe r iphra stic expre ssion s as equivalents f o r ,

m ode r n i d ea s images rela t ions o f things etc

, ,
gave me a ,
.
,

compa ss o f d ic t ion which woul d never have been called out

by a dull tran slation o f moral es say s etc That boy ,
.
,

said o n e o f my ma sters pointi ng t h e attention o f m

,
er

to m e ,
that boy could harangue an A thenian mob better -
,

than you and I could address an E ngl ish on e

He who .

m '

i o n o u re d me with this eu l ogy w a s a s ch o l a r and a ripe ,

a n d goo d one and of all my tutors w a s the only o n e ,

 6 CONFE SSIONS O F AN

su f cient to support me at college wish e d to b e sent thither ,

immediately I made e arnest repres e ntations o n the subj ect

.

to my guardians but all t o no purpose O n e wh o w a s more

, .
,

rea sonable and had more knowledge o f the world than the
,

re st live d a t a distance 3 two o f the o t her three resigned all

,

their authority into the hands o f the fourth 3 and this fourt h
with whom I had to negotiate wa s a WW
M5
,

m
to
a certain number o f letters and personal

interviews I found that I had n o thing t o h O pe f o r n o t even

, ,

a compromi se o f the matter from my guardian 3 un co n di ,

t io n a l submi ssion wa s what he d emanded 3 and I prepared

my self therefore for other measures S ummer was now
, , .

mth him
coming on with ha sty steps a n d my ar

was fa st approaching 3 after which d a y I had sworn within

,
W
my self that I woul d no longer be numbered among st s chool
boy s Money being what I chiey wanted I wrote to a
.
,

woman of high rank who though young herself had known

, , ,

me from a child and had latterly treated me with great dis

,

tinction reque sting that sh e would lend me ve guin e as

,

.

Fo r upwards o f a week no an s wer came 3 and I w a s begin

ning to despond when at length a s ervant put into my
, , ,

hands a double letter with a co r onet on the seal The letter

,
.

w a s kind and obliging 3 the fair writ e r was o n the se a coa st -

a n d in t hat way the delay had ari s en 3

o f what I had a ske d a n d good natured y

k
i n e that if I -
W
m
,

S her it would n o t ab solutely ruin her

,
.

N o w then I w a s prepared for my scheme ; ten guinea s

, ,

added to about two which I had remaining from my pocket

money seeme d to me sufcient for an indenit e length of
,

time 3 and at that happy age if no d e n ite boundary can be ,

as signed to one s power th e spirit o f h O pe and pleasure

,

m akes it virtually inni te .

 ENGLISH O PI UM E A TE R -
.
7

It is a j ust rema r k o f D r Jo h n so n s (and what can not

.

often be said o f h is remarks it is a very feeling o n e ) that

, ,

we never do anything con sciou sly for the last time (of
things that is which we have long been in the habit o f
, ,

d oing) without sa d ne ss o f heart Thi s truth I felt deeply .

when I cam e to lea v e a place which I d id not love ,

and where I h a d not been happy O n the evening before .

I l eft for ever I grie v e d when the ancient and lof t y

,

school room re soun d e d with the evening s ervice performe d

-

for the la st time in my hearing 3 and at night when the ,

mu ster roll o f names w a s called over and m ine (a s u sual )

-
,

was c al led rst I stepped for war d a n d pa ssing the hea d

, , ,

master who w a s standing by I bowed to h im and looke d

, , ,

e a rne stly in h is face thinking to m y self He is o l d a n d
, ,

in r m and in this world I shall not se e him again

,

I wa s .

right 3 I never d id se e him again nor ever shall He looked , .

at me complacently smiled good naturedly returned my

,
-

s alutation (or rather my valediction ) and we parte d (though

, ,

he knew it not) for ever I coul d not reverence h im .

intellectually ; but he had been uniformly kind to me a n d ,

h a d allowe d me many indulgencie s ; a n d I grie v e d at the

thought o f the m o rt ica t io n I shoul d inict upon him .

T h e morning came which w a s to launch me into the

worl d and from which my whole succeeding life h a s in
, ,

many impo r tant points taken it s colouring I lo d ged in

,
.

the hea d master s hou se a n d had been allowe d f r om my

-

, ,

r st entrance the in d ulgence o f a private room which I

, ,

u sed both a s a sleeping room a n d a s a stu d y A t half after

-
.
-

three I rose and ga z ed wi t h deep e m otion at the ancient

,

towers o f d re st in earlie st light a n d beginning to ,

crim son with the radiant lu stre o f a cloudle ss July morning .

I was rm and immovable in my purpo se ; but yet agitated

by anticipation of uncertain d anger a n d troubles ; and if I ,
 C ONFESSIONS O F AN
IN
coul d have foreseen the hurricane and ,

afic t ion w hi c h soon fel l upon m e we ,

g i ta t e d
. T o thi s agitation the dee p p eac
M
e o f the morning
pre sented an a e ct l n g contra st and l n some degree a
0

m The
.
s ilence w a s more profound than that of mid

night 3 and to me the silence o f a summer morning is more

touching than all other silence becau se the light being broad , ,

and strong a s t hat o f noon day at other sea sons of the year it
,
-
,

s e ems to diff er from perfect day chiey becau se man is not ,

yet abroad 3 and thus the peace of nature and of the innocent
, ,

creature s o f G o d seem s to be secure and deep only so long

, ,

a s the pre s ence o f m a n and his re stle ss and unquiet spirit

, ,

are n o t there to trouble its sanc t ity I d r e ss ed my self .

,

took my hat and gloves a n d lingered a l ittle in the room

,
.

Fo r the last year and a half this room had been my -

pen sive citadel 3 here I had read and stu d ied through all
the hours o f night ; and though true it w a s that for , ,

the latter part o f thi s time I who w a s framed for love and ,

gentle aff ection s had lo st my gaiety and happine ss d uring

, ,

the strife and fever of contention with my guard ian ; yet ,

o n the other hand as a boy so pa ssionately fon d o f books

, , ,

and dedicate d t o intellectual pur suits I could not fail to ,

have enj oyed many happy hours in the mid s t o f general

dej ection I wept a s I looked round o n the chair hearth
.
, ,

writing table and other familiar obj ects knowing t o o

-

, ,

certainly that I looke d upon them f o r the la st time

, .

W hilst I write this it is eighteen years ago ; and yet at

, ,

thi s moment I se e di stinctly a s if it were ye sterday the

, , ,

lineament s and expre ssion o f the obj ect o n which I xed

my parting gaze 3 it w a s a picture of the lovely which
hung over the man t lepiece the eyes a n d mouth o f which
were so beautiful a n d the whole countenance so rad iant
,

with benignity a n d divine tranquillity that I had a ,

 ENGL ISH O PI UM E A TE R
-
.
9

t housand time s laid down my pen o r my book to gather , ,

con solation from it a s a de v otee f r o m his patron saint

, .

W hilst I was yet ga z i n g upon it the deep tones of ,

clock proclaime d that it was four o clock I went up to .

the picture ki ssed it and gently walk e d o u t and closed

, , ,

the door for ever

S o blended a n d intertwisted in thi s life are occa sions o f

l aughter a n d o f tears that I cannot yet recall without
,

smili n g an inci d ent w hich occurre d at that time and which

, ,

had nearly put a st op to the imme d iate execution o f my

plan I h a d a trunk o f imm e n se weight 3 for be side s my
.
,

clothes it contained nearly all my lib rary The d ii c u l t y

, .

w a s to get this removed t o a carrier s 3 my room w a s at an
a erial elevation in the hou se and (wha t w a s wor se ) the ,

stair ca s e
-
which communicated with thi s angle o f the
,

building w a s acce ssible only by a galle r y which pa ssed the

, ,

hea d ma ster s chamber door I wa s a favourite with all the

-

.

servant s 3 and knowing that any o f them would s creen me

, ,

and act con d entially I communicated my e m ba r ra ssment

,

to a groom o f the hea d ma ster s The groom swore he woul d

-

.

d o anything I wi shed 3 and when the time arrived went ,

up stairs to bring the trunk down Thi s I feare d was beyond .

the stre n gth o f any o n e m a n 3 however the groom was a man ,

O f At la n t e a n sh o ul d e r s t t o b e a r ,

Th e we igh t o f m igh t i e st m o n a rchi e s 3

and had a back as spaciou s a s S ali sbury Plain A ccordingly .

he per si sted in bringing down the trunk alone whil st I ,

stoo d waiting at the foot o f the la st ight in anxiety for

the event Fo r some ti m e I hear d h im de scen d ing with

.

slo w a n d rm s tep s ; but unfortunately f r o m h is t r epi d a ,

tion as he d rew near the d angerou s quarter within a few

, ,

step s of the gallery h is foot slippe d 3 a n d the mighty

,
 I o CONFE SSIONS O F AN

burden falling from his shoulders gained such increa se o f

, ,

impetus at each step o f the descent that o n reaching the , ,

bottom it trun d led o r rather leaped right acro ss with the

, , , ,

noi se o f twenty devils again st the very bed room door o f ,

-

th e a rch id id a sca l u s My rst thought w a s that all w a s

.

lo st and that my only chanc e for executi n g a retreat w a s to

,

s ac r ice my baggage However o n reection I determined .

, ,

to abi d e the is sue The groom was in the utmo st alarm .

,

both o n h is o w n account and o n mine 3 but in spite o f thi s , ,

so irre si stibly had the s en s e o f the lu d icrous in thi s unhappy ,

co n t r e t e m s taken pos s es sion of h is fancy that he s ang o u t a

p , ,

long loud and canorou s peal o f laughter that might have

, , ,

wakened the S even S leepers At the sound of thi s resonant .

mer r iment within th e very ear s of in sulted authority I

, ,

could not my self forbear j oining in it 3 sub d ued to thi s not ,

so much by the unhappy t o u r d em e o f the trunk a s by the

e ff ect it had upon the gr oom W e both expecte d as a .

,

matte r o f course that D r woul d s al ly o u t o f h is

, .

room ; for in general if but a mou se stirred he sprang o u t , ,

like a m a st i from the kennel S trange to sa y however .

, ,

o n thi s occa sion when the noise o f laughter had cea sed no
, ,

s oun d o r ru s tling even was to be heard in the bed room

, ,
-
.

Dr W
ing h im awa e ma d e his sl eep pe W ,
W
,_

W W
W TEQ courage from th e silence ,

the groom hoi sted h is burden again and accompli shed the ,

rem ainder of h is des cent without accident I waited until .

I sa w the trunk placed o n a wheel barrow a n d on it s road -

to the carrier s ; then with Provi d ence m y gui d e I se t , ,

o ff on foot carrying a small parcel with s ome article s o f ,

dress under my arm ; a favourite E ngli sh poet in o n e pocket

, ,

and a small 1 2 mo volum e containing about nine plays of ,

E uripid es in the other ,

.
 ENGLISH O PI UM E A TE R -
. I I

It had been my intention originally to proce e d to W est

moreland both from the lov e I bore to that country and o n
, ,

other personal accounts A ccident however gav e a diff erent

.
, ,

direction to my wanderings and I bent my steps t owards ,

A fter wandering about f o r s ome time in D enbighshir e ,

Merioneth shire and C aernarvonshire I took lodgings in a

, ,

small neat hou se in B He r e I might have stayed with

great comfort for many week s 3 for provi sions were cheap at
B from the scarcity o f othe r markets for the surplus
produce o f a wide agricultural di strict An acci d ent how .
,

ever in which perhaps no off ence was de signed drove me

, , , ,

o u t to wander again I know n o t whether my reader may

.

have remarked but I have often remarked that the proude st

, ,

cla ss o f people in E ngland (or at any rate the cla ss who se ,

p r ide is mo st apparent ) are the families o f bi shops N oble .

men a n d their children carry about w ith them in their

, , ,

very titles a su f cient notication o f their rank N ay

,
.
,

their very name s (a n d thi s applies al so to the children o f

many untitled house s) are often to the E ngli sh ear , ,

a d equate exponents o f high birth or d e scent S ackville .

,

Manners Fit z r oy Paulet C avendi sh and scores o f others

, , , , ,

tell their o w n tale S uch per son s therefore nd e v ery

.
, ,

where a d u e sense o f their claims already e stabli she d ,

except among tho s e who a r e ignorant o f the worl d by vi r tue ,

of their o wn ob scurity : N o t t o know t hem a r gue s one s

,

s elf unknown Their manners take a suitable tone and
.

colou r ing 3 a n d for once they nd it nece ssary to impre ss a

sense o f their con sequence upon other s they meet with a ,

thou sand occa sions for moderatin g a n d tempe r ing t his sen se
by acts o f courteou s conde s cen sion W ith the fa m ilie s of .

bi shops it is otherwise with them it is all u p hill wo r k to -

make known their pretensions ; f o r the proportion o f the

12 CONFE SSIONS OF AN

episcopal bench taken from noble families is not at any

, ,

time very large ; and the s ucce ssion o f these dignitie s is so

rapid that the public ear s eldom has time t o beco m e
,

familiar with them unless where t hey ar e connected with

,

some lit e rary reputation Hence it is that the chil d ren of

.
,

bi shops carry about with them an au stere and repul sive air ,

indicative o f claims not generally acknowle d ged a sort of ,

ma lt m e t a n g erc m anner nervously apprehen sive o f too

,

familiar approach and shrinking with the sensitivene ss of

,

a gouty man from all contact with the o i

,
D oubtle ss ,

a powerful understanding o r unusual goodness o f nature , ,

will pre serve a man from such weakness ; but in general , ,

the truth o f my repre sentation will be acknowledged ; pride ,

if not o f deeper root in such families appears at least more , , ,

upon the surfac e o f their manners This Spirit o f manners .

naturally communicates itself t o their d ome stic s and other

dependants N ow my landlady had been a la d y s mai d o r
.
, ,

a nurse in the family o f the Bi shop o f

, 3 and h a d but

lately married away and settle d (a s such people expre ss
it ) for life In a little town like B
. m erely to have

lived in the bi shop s family conferre d some di stinction ;
and my good landlady had rather more than her share of
the pride I have notice d o n that s core W ha t my lord
.

sai d a n d what my lord did how u seful he was in parlia
, ,

ment and how in d i spen sable at O xford formed the d ail y

, ,

burden o f her talk Al l this I bore very well ; for I was

.

too good natured to laugh in anybo d y s face and I could
-

make an ample allowance for the garrulity o f an o l d

s ervant O f nece ssity however I mu s t have appeared
.
, ,

in her eyes very inadequately impres sed with the bi shop s
importance 3 and perhaps to puni sh me for my indiff erence
, , ,

o r po ssibly by acci d ent she o n e d a y repeated to m e a

,

conversation in which I was in directly a party concerned .

 I 4 CONFE SSIONS O F AN

rich a s his l ord ship I was a far bett e r Grecian C almer

, .

thoughts however drov e this boyish design out of my

, ,

min d 3 f o r I con sidere d that the bishop was in the right

to counsel an o l d servant ; that he could not ha v e
d e signed that h is a d vice should be reporte d to me ; and
that the sam e coar seness o f mind which had led Mrs .

Betty to repeat the advice at all might have coloured it in ,

a way more agreeable t o her o wn style o f thinking than to ,

the actual expre ssions o f the worthy bi shop .

I left the lodgings the v e ry same hour ; and this turned

o u t a very unfortunate occurrence f o r m e because l iving , ,

henceforward at inn s I was drained o f my money very ,

ra id l ht I was reduced W e ;

a
l that is I co ul d al low my self o n ] o n e pu pal d ay E g m .

th
e w t i
pe g pt roduced by con s tant e x e rcise a n d m o u n ~

tain air acting o n a youthful stomach I soon

,
b e ga n m ,

y n g thg sm

i e: g
t l t i l d re imen for l l

su ) re a t o s s e e r 3 gi e ea

1 ei1 qre t o o rd e i w
-

wh ch/I g oul
i _
_
as
co ff ee E v en
C
thi s however was at length withdrawn ; and afterward s
, , ,

so l ong as I remained in W ales I s ub si s ted either on black ,

berries, hips haws e tc or on t he casual h o spit a lities wh ic h

, , .
,

It
'
I no w g i
l
w ejm l ed in return f o r s uch little,
services
as I h a d an pppp rt u nt Qf r e n d eri ng: S ometime s I W ro t e

of b u sine ss for cottager s who happened to have

'

relatives in Liverpool o r in London ; more often I wrot e

love lett e rs to th e ir sweethearts for young w o m en who had
-

liv e d as servants in S h r ew sbury o r o t her to wns o n th e ,

E ngli s h bord e r O n all s uch occa sion s I gave great sati s

.

faction to my humble frien d s and w a s generally treated ,

with ho spitality 3 and once in particular near the villag e o f ,

Llan y st y n d w (or some such name ) in a sequestered part o f

- -
,

Me r ioneth shire I w a s entertained for upwards of three d ay s

,

by a family o f young people with an aff ectionate and ,

 ENGLIS H O PI UM E A TE R
-
. : 5

fraternal kindne ss that left an impre ssion upon my heart

not yet impaired The family consist e d at that time o f four
.
, ,

s is ter s a n d three brothers all grown up and all remarkable

, ,

for elegance and d elicacy of manners S o much beauty .

,

and so much native goo d bree d ing and renement I do not

-

reme m ber to have seen before or since in any cottage ,

except once o r twice in W e s t moreland and D evon shi r e .

They spoke E ngli sh an accompli shment not often met with

,

in so many members of o n e fa m ily e specially i n v illage s ,

re m ote from the high road Her e I wrote o n my r st

-
.
,

intro d uction a letter about prize money for o n e of the

,
-
,

b r othe r s w h o had ser v ed o n boar d an E ngli sh man o f war ;

,
- -

and more p r i v a t ely two lo v e letters f o r two o f the si sters

,
-
.

They were bo t h intere sting lookin g gi r l s a n d o n e o f ,

uncommon loveline ss In the m id st o f their confu sion and

.

blu shes whil st dictating o r rather giving me general in stru o

, ,

tion s it d id not require any great penetration to discover

,

that what they wi she d was that their letter s shoul d be a s kin d
as was cons istent with proper mai d enly pri d e I contrived .

so to temper my expressions as to reconcile the gratication

,

o f both feelings ; and th e y were a s much plea sed with

the way in which I had expre ssed their thoughts as (in ,

their simplicity) they were astoni shed at my having so

readily di scovered them The reception o n e meets with
.

from the women of a family generally determines the tenor

o f one s whole entertainment In this ca s e I h a d d i s charge d
.

my con d ential dutie s as secretary so much to the general

sati s faction perhap s al s o amusing them with my conver s a
,

tion that I was p r e s sed t o stay with a cordiality which I

,

h a d little incli n ation to re si s t I slept with the bro t hers

.
,

the only unoccupied b e d stan d ing in t he apa r t ment o f the

young women 3 but in all other points they treate d me
with a r e spec t not u sual ly pai d t o purse s a s light a s m ine
 N / V I I V V

l

v n -
/
r

C O N FE S g QN
16
g
as if my scholarship were su fcient evid e nce that I w a s o f


gentle bloo d Thus I live d with them for three d ays
.
,

a n d great part o f a fourth 3 and fro m the undimini shed ,

kin d ness which they continued to show me I believe I ,

might ha v e staye d with them up to this time if thei r ,

power had corre spon d ed w ith their wi she s O n the la st .

mo r ning however I percei v e d upon their countenances as

, , ,

they sa t at breakfa st the exp r e ssion o f s o m e unpleasant

,

communication which w a s at hand ; a n d soon after o n e o f

the brothers explaine d to me that their pa r ents had gone ,

the d a y before my arrival to an annual meeting o f Metho ,

d i st s held at C aernar v on and we r e that d a y expected t o

, ,

return 3 and if they should n o t b e so civil a s they ought

to be he begged o n the par t o f all the young people that
, , ,

I would not t ake it ami ss The parents returned with .

,

churli sh face s a n d
Dym S a ssen a ch
,

(n o E n g lish
) in ,

an swer to all my a d d re sses I sa w how matters stood ; .

a n d so taking an aff ectionate lea v e o f my kind and inter

,

e sting young ho st s I went my way Fo r though they

, .
,

s poke warmly to their parents in my behalf and often ,

excu sed the manner o f the old people by s aying it was ,

only their way yet I ea sily un d erstood that my talent
,

for writing love letters woul d do a s little to recommend me

-

with t w o grave sexagenarian W el sh Methodi sts as my ,

Greek S apphic s or A lcaic s 3 and what had been ho spitality ,

when o e re d to me with the g r acious courte sy of my young

f r ien d s woul d become charity when connecte d with the
,

ha r sh demeanour of the se o ld people C ertainly Mr .

, .

S helley is righ t in his notion s about o l d age 3 g nl e ss power

I f ully counteracted by all s o r t s of O ppo site agencie s iti s a ,

mi serable corrupter a n d blighter to the genial charitie s o f

the human heart "M
.
p
n

S oon af ter this I contrived by mean s which I must omit ,

 1 7

for want of room to t r an sfe r myself to Lon d on A n d n o w

, .

began he 5
W i thout u sin a d i sp r o p o r tionate e
g pre s sio n #1:
, i t s a
y " "w

of m y agony Fo r I now su ff e r e d fo r upwar d s o f sixteen

\

.
,

W y s c a l angui s h of hunger in variou s d eg r ee s of

i
inten sity 3 but a s bi t te r perhap s a s ever any human being
, ,

can ha v e su ff ere d who h a s sur v ive d it I woul d not nee d .

le ssly hara ss my rea d e r s feelings by a d etail of all that I

en d ure d 3 for extremitie s such a s the se under any circum ,

stances o f hea v ie st mi sconduct or guilt cannot be con t e m ,

plate d e v en in d e scription without a rueful pity tha t is

, ,

painful to the natural goo d ne ss of the hum an heart Let .

it su f ce at lea st o n thi s occa sion to sa y that a few frag

, , ,

ments of brea d from the breakfa st table of one in d ivi d ual -

( who suppo se d me to be ill but d id not know of my being ,

in utter want ) and the se at uncertain interval s con stituted

, ,

my whole support D uring the former part of my suff er

.

i n gs (that is generally in W ales and alway s for the r st

, ,

two months in Lon d on) I wa s h o u se l e s3 a n d v ery sel d om 3

To this co n sm

slept un d er a roof am o su re to t h e o e n
.
p p

air I a scribe it mainly that I did not sI n k un d er my tor

m Latterly however when colder and mo r e inclement

, ,

weather cam e on a n d when from the length o f m y su ff er

, ,

ings I had be u n to sink into a more

, i hing
s

it wa s no o u b t fortunate for m ef tliat the sam e person to

W
, ,

who se breakfast table I h a d acce ss allowe d me to sleep in a

-
,

la r ge unoccupie d house o f which he was tenant U n o ccu

, .

pie d I call it f o r there w a s no household o r establi sh m ent

, ,

in it 3 nor any furniture indee d except a table a n d a f e w

, ,

chairs But I foun d o n taking posse ssion o f my new quar

.
,

ters that the hou se alrea d y containe d one single in m ate

, ,

a poor frien d less child apparently ten years o l d 3 bu t

,

sh e seemed hunger bitten and s uff erings of that sort often

-
,

2
18 CONFE SSIONS O F AN

make children look older than they are From this for .

lorn chil d I learned that sh e h a d slept a n d live d there

alone for so m e time before I came 3 and great j oy the poo r
creature expressed when sh e found that I w a s in future , ,

to be her companion through the hou r s of d a r kne ss The .

hou se w a s large ; a n d from the want o f fu rn iture the , ,

noi s e of the rat s mad e a prodigious echoing on the spaciou s

stair ca se a n d hall ; and ami d st the real e sh ly ill s o f
-
,

col d a n d I fear hunger the forsaken child had found

, , , ,

lei sure to s u ff er s t ill more (it appeared ) f

r i
ed

s e d her p r ot ection agai ns t a ll gho sts

W
one o
fgp h s p

o m
p

whatsoever 3 b ut alas ! I could off er her no other assi stance

,
.

W e lay upon the oor with a bundle o f cursed law papers ,

for a pillow but with no other covering than a sor t o f

,

large horseman s cloak 3 af t er wards however we di scovere d

, , ,

in a garret an o l d sofa cover a small piece o f rug and

,
-
, ,

some fragments o f other article s which added a little to ,

o u r warmth The poor child crept close to me for warmth

.
,

a n d for security again st her gho stly enemies W hen I was .

not more than u sual ] ill I took her into my 55 3;

in general s h e wa s tolerably warm and often slept when I
, ,
M ?
coul d not ; for d uri ng the la st two month s o f my s u ff er i ngs

, ,

I sI e pt much in day time a n d w a s apt to fall into tran sient

-
,

do zi ngs at all hours But my sleep d ist re W . e

thanmy watch i ng ; for be si d e the tumultuou sne ss o f my

W s
,

drea m s (w hich were only not so awful a s tho se which I

sha l l have to d e scribe hereafter a s produced by opiu m ) my ,

sleep w a s never m ore than what is called d o g sleep so that -

I co u l dm w
and was often a s it seeme d , ,

to me awakened suddenly by my o wn voice ; a n d about

, ,

this time a hi d eous sen sation began to haunt me as soon a s

,

I fell into a slumber which h a s since re t u rn ei up og me at ,

di ff e r en t period s o f m y life vi z a sort o f t W it C h l (I O'

,
M
.
 ENGLISH O PI UM E A TE R
w
-
. 19

know n o t
n
o n of the

stomach ) w 1 0 compelled me violently to throw out my

,

W
feet for the sake of relieving it This sensation comin 0 L .

a s s oon as I began t o sleep a n d the

m I
,

a in m e xh a u st io n ;
a n d from increa sing weakne ss (a s I sai d before ) I was w
Mean
t master o f the hou se sometimes came in upon us
[

s u d denly and very early sometimes n o t till ten o clock
, , ,

s ometimes not at a l l He was in constant fear o f baili ff s 3

.

improving o n the plan of C romwell every night he slept in ,

a di ff erent quarter o f London 3 and I ob ser v e d that he

never failed to examine through a private win d ow the
, ,

appearance o f tho se who knocked at the d oor before he

would allow it to be O pene d He breakfa ste d alone ; .

indeed h is te a equipage would hardly have admitted o f

,

his hazarding an invitation to a second per son any m ore

than the quantity o f esculent m a terie l which f o r the mo st , ,

part wa s little more than a roll or a few biscuits which he

, , ,

h a d bought on h is roa d from the place where he had slep t .

O r if he ha d a ske d a par t y as I once learnedly and

, ,

facetiou sly ob serve d to him the s everal members of it

must have sto o d in the relation to each other (not sa t e in
any relation whatever) o f succe ssion a s the metaphy sician s ,

have it and not of a co existence 3 in the relation o f the

,
-

part s o f ti m e and n o t o f the parts o f space D uring h is

, .

b r eakfa st I gene r ally contrive d a rea son for lounging in ,

a n d with an air o f a s much indiff erence as I could a ss ume

took up such fragments as he had left someti m es indee d

, ,

, ,

there were non e at all I n doin g this I committe d no

.

robbery except upon the man him se l f who w a s thus oblige d ,

(I believe ) n o w and then to s end out at noon for an extra

bis cuit 3 for as t o t he poor child she w a s never a d m it t ed

, ,
20 CONFE SSIONS O F AN

into hi s study (if I may give that name to h is chief

depo sitory o f parchment s l a w writings etc ) 3 that room , ,
.

was to her the Blue bear d roo m o f the hou se b e in g re gul a rl y

-

,

locked o n h is departure to dinner about six o clock which , ,

u sually w a s his nal departure for the n ight W hether .

thi s chil d were an il legitimate d augh t er o f Mr or .

only a ser v ant I could not ascertain 3 sh e d id not herself

,

know 3 bu t ce r tainly sh e was treated altogether as a menial

s er v ant N o sooner did Mr
. make his appearance . ,

than sh e went below stair s bru she d h is shoe s coat etc 3 , , ,

.

a n d except when sh e was summ oned to run an errand sh e

, ,

never e m erge d from the d i smal Tartarus o f the kitchen ,

etc to the upper air until my welcome knock at night

.
, ,

calle d up her little t r embling foot step s to the front door .

O f her life d urin g the day time howe v er I knew little but -

, ,

what I gathered from her o wn account at night 3 for as ,

soon as the hour s of bu sine ss commence d I sa w that my ,

ab sence woul d be acceptable 3 and in general therefo r e I , , ,

went o ff a n d sate in the park s o r el sewhe r e until nightfall , ,

.

But who and what meantime was the master o f the

, , ,

hou se h im se l f l R eader h e wa s o n e o f those anomalous

practitioners in lower d epartments o f the law who what ,

shall I sa
y l w h
'
o o n pr u dential reasons o r f r om nece ssity
, , ,

deny themselves all indulgenc e in the luxury of too d elicate

a con science (a periphrasis which might be abridged con

sid e ra b l y but t ha t I leave to the reader s taste in many
, )
walks o f life a conscience is a mor e expen sive encumbrance
than a wife or a carriage ; and j u st as people talk of

laying down their carriages so I suppose my friend ,

Mr . had laid down his conscience f o r a time 3
meaning doubtle ss t o resume it as soon as he could aff ord
, ,

it The inner e conomy of such a man s daily life would

.

pre s e nt a most strange pictur e, if I could allo w myself to

 22 CONFESSI ONS O F AN

and desolation o f that same house eighteen years ago when ,

its nightly occ u pants were o n e fa m ishing scholar and a

neglected chil d her b y the b y in after y e ars I vainly
,
- -

em re 0 race A part from her situation she was

.
,

not what would b e calle d an interesting child : she w a s

neither pretty nor quick in understanding nor remarkably
, ,

plea sing in manner s But thank G o d ! even in those years

.
,

I neede d not the embelli shments o f novel accessories to

conciliate my aff ections plain human nature in it s ,

humblest and most homely apparel w a s enough for me , ,

and I l oved t hg g hil d b e gag i se sh e wa s my partner in

v b
_

w r e h
tc e d ness . If sh e is n o w living sh e is probably a
mother with chil d ren o f her o wn ; but as I have said I
, , ,

could never trace h e r .

Thi s I regret 3 but another person there was at that time

whom I have since sought to trace with far deeper earne st
ness and wi t h far d eeper sorrow at my failure
,
Thi s .

person w a s a young woman a n d o n e o f that unhappy cla ss

,

w h o sub si st upon the wages o f prostitution I feel no .

shame nor have any reason to feel it in avowing that I

, ,

w a s then o n familiar and friendly terms with many

women in that unfortunate condition The reader ne e ds .

neither smile at this avowal n o r frown ; for not t o , ,

remind my cla ssic al readers o f the o l d Latin proverb ,

S in e O ere r e ,
etc it may well be suppo se d that in t he
.
,

exi sting state o f my purse my connection with such women

,

coul d not have been an impure one But the truth is that .
,

at no time o f m life have I been W f

polluted by the touch o r appgqa ch o f a m m m i ha t m e
hu m a n sha p e ; o n the contrary from my very earlie st
H w

a ,

youth it h a s been my pride to convers e familia r ly m o re ,

S o cra ti c with all human beings man w

that chance might ing in my waya practice which is
, , ,
W
 ENGLISH O PI UM E A TE R
-
. 23

frie ndly to the knowle d ge qf 11115339 nature to good fe e lings

__ , ,

and to that franknes s o f a d d re ss which become s a man wh o

woul d be thought a philo sopher ; for a philo sopher should
not se e with the eyes o f the poor limitary creature calling
him s elf a man o f the wo r l d a n d lle d with narrow and
,

self regard ing p r ej udices of bi r th and e ducation but shoul d

-

look upon hi m self a s a catholic creature a n d as stan d ing

in equal relation to high a n d l o w to e d ucated and un e du
,

c a t e d to the guilty a n d the innocent

,
Being my self at that
.

time o f nece ssity a peripatetic o r a walker o f the streets

, ,

I naturally fell in more frequently with those fema l e

peripatetics who are technically called street walke r s -
.

Many o f these women had occasionally taken my part

again st watchmen who wi shed to drive me o ff the step s of
hou ses where I w a s sitting But one among st them the
.
,

o n e o n who se account I have at all intro d uced thi s s ubj ect

yet no ! let me n o t class thee O h noble minded An n

,
-

wi t h that order o f women ; let me nd if it be po ssible , ,

some gentl e r name to d e signate the condition o f her to

who se bounty and compas sion mini stering to my nece ssities
,

when all the world h a d forsaken me I o w e it that I am at

,

thi s ti m e alive Fo r many weeks I h a d walked at nights

.

with thi s poor friendle ss girl up and d own O xford S treet ,

o r had re ste d with her on steps and under the shelter of

porticos S he coul d not be so o ld as myself 3 sh e told me

.
,

in d eed that sh e had not completed her sixteenth year By

,
.

s uch questions as my interest about h e r pro m pte d I h a d ,

gra d ually drawn forth her simple hi story Hers was a .

case o f or d inary occurrence (as I have since had reas on to

think ) and o n e in which if Lon d on b e n e ce n ce had better
, ,

a d apted it s arrangements t o meet it the power o f the law

,

might oftener be interpo sed to protect a n d to a v enge But .

the stream o f London charity ows in a channel w hich ,

24 CONFESSIO N S O F AN

though d eep and mighty is yet noiseless a nd undergroun d 3 ,

not obvious o r readily acc e ssibl e to poor houseles s wan

d e re rs 3 and it cannot be denie d that the out side air a n d
fram e work o f London society is ha r sh cruel a n d repul si v e
-
, ,
.

In any ca se howe v er I sa w that pa r t of her inj urie s might

, ,

ea sily ha v e been red r e sse d ; and I urge d her often a n d

earne stly to lay her complaint before a magi strate 3 frien d
le ss as sh e w a s I as sure d her that sh e would meet with
,

imme d iate atten t ion 3 a n d that E nglish j u stice which w a s ,

no re specter o f person s would speedily and a m ply avenge

,

her o n the brutal rufa n who had plun d ere d her lit t le
property S he promi sed me often that sh e would but she
.
,

d elayed taking the s te ps I pointed o u t from time to time 3

f o r sh e w as timid and d ej ected to a degree which showed
h o w d eeply sorrow h a d taken hold o f her young heart ; and
perhaps sh e thought j u stly that the most upright j u d ge and ,

the mo st righteou s tribunals could do nothing to repair her ,

heaviest wrongs S omething howev e r would perhaps have

.
, ,

been done for it had been se t tled between us at length but

, ,

unhappily o n the very last time but o n e that I w a s ever to

see her that in a day o r two we should go together before
,

a magi strate and that I should speak o n her behalf This

,
.

little service it w a s de stined however that I should never , ,

realise Meantime that which sh e rendered to me and

.
, ,

which was greater than I could ever have repaid her w a s ,

thi s O n e night when we were pacing slowl y along

,

O xford S treet and after a d a y when I had felt more t han

,

u sually ill and faint I requeste d her to turn o ff with me

,

into S oho S quare 3 thither we went and we sate d own on ,

the step s of a hou se which to this hour I never pass, , ,

without a pang o f g r ief and an inner act o f homage to the

,

spirit of that unhappy gi r l in memory o f the noble action ,

which sh e there performed S ud d enly as we sate I gre w .

, ,
 ENGLIS H O PI UM E A TE R
-
. 2 5
much wor se 3
bo som a n d
,

it w a s at this cri sis o f my fate that m y p oor or phan

, ,

companio n who had herself met with little but inj uries
, 4

acte d upon my Empty stomach (which at that t ime woul d

M
_
m _

t g all )
s oli d foo d with an in st a n t a ne
ousp o w e r of

a n dj
rea g t h i a
gl ss the generou s girl without a
_ _
t . o N .

murmur pai d o u t o f her o w n humble pu rse a t a time

b e it re m em ered lwhen sh e had scarcel
y wherewithal
t o pure a se the bare nec e ssari es o f l i fe and when she
W g

,
W
coul d h a v e no re ason t o expe ct t hat
g
_ _

able to reimburse her O h ! youthf u l b e n e f a c t re ss l h o w

.

M
often i n succeed in g y ears stan d i ng i n sol itary places and
0

, ,

thinking o f thee with grief o f heart a n d perfect love h o w ,

often have I wished that as in ancient times the curs e o f a

,

father wa s belie v ed t o have a supernatural power a n d to ,

pu r sue it s obj ect with a fa t al neces sity o f self f ul l m e nt -

even so the benediction o f a heart oppresse d with gratitude

might have a like prerogative ; might ha v e power given to
it from abo v e to cha se t o hauntto way layto over -

take to purs u e thee into the central d arkne ss of a

Lon d on brothel o r (if it were po ssible ) into the d ark
,

ne ss o f the gra v e there t o awaken thee with an authentic

h -
26 C ON FESSIONS O F AN

message o f p e ac e and forgiv e n e ss and of nal recon ,

ciliatio n !
I do not often w e ep 3 for not o nl y do my thoughts on
subj ects connected with the chief inter e sts o f man d aily ,

nay hourly descend a thousand fathoms t o o d ee p for

,

tears 3 not only does the st e rnn e ss of my habits of thought

p r esent an antagonis m to the feelings which prompt tears

wanting o f nece ssity to those who being protected usually
,

by th e ir le v ity from any tendency to meditative sorrow ,

woul d by that same l e vity be mad e incapabl e o f r e sisting

it o n any casual access o f such fe elings 3but al so I believe ,

that all minds which have contemplated such obj ects as

d eeply as I have done must f o r their own protection from
, ,

utter despon d ency have early encouraged and cheri shed

,

some tranquillising belief as to the future balances and

th e hi e roglyphic meanings o f human suff erings O n these .

accounts I am cheerful to this hour ; and as I have said I , ,

do not often weep Y e t s ome feeling s though not deeper

.
,

o r more pas sionate ar e more tender than others 3 and often

, ,

when I walk at this time in O xford S treet by dreamy lamp

light and hear those airs played o n a barrel organ which
,
-

years ago solaced me and my dear companion (as I must

always call her ) I shed tears and muse with myself at the
, ,

my sterious d i spen sation which so suddenly and so critically

separated us for ever How it happened the reader will
.
,

under stand from what remains o f thi s introductory

narration .

S oon aft e r th e p e riod o f th e last incident I have recorded ,

I met in A lbemarle S treet a gentleman of h is late Maj e sty s

, ,

hou sehold This gentleman h a d received hospitali t ies on

.
,

d i ff erent occa sions from my family and he challeng e d me

, ,

upon th e strength of my family likene ss I d id not atte mpt .

any disguise 3 I an swered his questions ingenuously and ,

 ENGLIS H O PI UM E A TE R
-
. 27

on his pledging his word o f honour that h e would not

betray m e t o my guardians I gave him an address to my
,

friend the atto rney s The next day I received from him
.

a ten pound bank note The letter enclo sing it was delivered
- -
.

with other letter s of business to the attorney 3 but though ,

his look and manner informe d me that he suspected its

contents he gave it up t o me honourably and without
,

demur .

This present from the particular servic e to which it was

,

applied leads me natural ly to speak o f the purpose which

,

h a d allured me up to Lo ndon and which I had b e en (to u se

,

a forensic word ) so liciting from the rst day of my arrival

in London t o that o f my nal departure .

In so mighty a world as Lo ndon it will su rpris e my readers ,

that I shoul d n o t ha v e found some means o f staving o ff the

la st extremitie s of penury 3 and it will strike them that t wo
re s ources at least must have been open to m eviz either to .
,

seek a ssi stanc e from the f r iend s of my family o r to t urn my ,

you t hful talent s and attainm e nts into som e chann el of

pecuniary emolument As t o the rst course I may ob serve
.
,

generally that what I dreaded beyond all other evils was

,

the chance o f being reclaimed by my guardians 3 not doubt

in g that whatev e r power the law gave them would have
been enforced against me to t he utmo st that is to the , ,

extremity o f forcibly re storing me to the school which I h a d

quitted a re storation which as it would in my eyes have,

been a d ishonour even if submitted to voluntarily coul d

, ,

not fail when extorte d from me in contempt and deance

,

o f my own wi s hes a n d e ff orts to have been a humiliation

,

w o r se t o me than d eath and which would in d eed have

,

ter m inated in d eath I w a s therefore sh y enough of

.
, ,

applying for a ssi stance even in tho se quarters where I w a s

sure o f receiving it a t the risk o f furni shing my gu ardian s
2 8 CONFE SSIONS O F AN

with any clue o f recovering me But as to London in .

,

particular though doubtless m y father h a d in his life tim e

, , ,
-

h a d many f r iends th e re yet (as ten years had pa ssed since ,

h is d eath ) I remembered few o f them even by name 3 and

never having seen London before except once for a few ,

hours I knew n o t the ad d ress o f even those few To thi s

,
.

mode o f gaining help therefore in part the difculty but , , ,

much more the paramount fear which I have mentione d ,

habitually indi sposed me In regard to the other mo d e I .

,

now feel half inclined to j oin my rea d er in wondering that

I should have overlooke d it A s a co r rector o f Greek .

p r oofs (if in no other way ) I might doubtle ss hav e gained ,

enough for my slender wants S uch an o ce as this I .

coul d have di scharge d with an exemplary and punctual

accuracy t hat would soon ha v e gained me the condence o f
m y employers But it mu st not be forgotten that even
.
,

for such an o f ce as thi s it w a s nece ssary that I shoul d ,

rst o f all ha v e an intro d uction t o some re spectable pub

l ish e r a n d this I had no means o f ob t aining
,
To sa y the .

t r uth howe v er it had never once occurred to me t o t hink

, ,

of literary labours as a source o f prot N 0 mode .

su i cie n t l y spee d y o f obtaining m o n ey had ever occurred

to me but that o f borrowing it on the strength o f my

f uture claim s and expectation s This mo d e I sought by .

e v ery avenue to compa ss ; and amongst other persons I

applied to a Jew name d D
To thi s Jew and to other adverti sing money lenders
,
-

( s ome o f whom were I belie v e al s o Jew s ) I,

had intro d uced , ,

myself with an account o f my expectations ; which account ,

To t hi s sa m e Je w, b y t h e wa y, so m e e
-
t een m ont
-
ighh s af e t rwa r ds ,

I a pp i g i
l ed a a n o n t h e sa m e b i
us ness 3 a n d, d a t n a t t ig h a t t im e frm o

a r p ct b l c l l g
es e a e o e e, I wa s f o r tu na e t ugh t g i
e no o a n h is se ri uo s

a tt t i t m y pr p
en on o o l
o sa s. My c
n e e ss i ti h d t ri
es a no a se n f r om a ny
3o CONFESSIONS O F AN

for I doate d o n logical accuracy of di stinctions ) accu se d or , ,

at least suspected of counterfeiting my own self f orm a li t er

, ,

considered However to sati sfy their scruple s I took the

.
, ,

only course in my power W hil st I w a s in W ales I h a d .

,

received various let t ers from young f r iends ; the se I pro

d u ce d f o r I carried the m constantly in my pocket being
, ,

indeed by this time almo st the only relics o f my personal

,

encumbrance s (excepting the clo t hes I wore ) which I had

not in o n e way o r other d ispo sed o f Mo st o f t he se letters .

were f r om the E arl of who was at that time my chief

(or rather only ) con d ential f r iend The s e letter s were .

d ated from E ton I had al so some from the Marquis o f

.

h is father who though ab sorbed in agricultural pur suits

, , ,

yet having been an E tonian himself and a s good a s cholar

, ,

as a nobleman needs t o be still retaine d an a ff ection for ,

clas sical studies and for youthful scholars

,
He h a d .
,

accor d ingly from the time that I was f teen corre sponded
, ,

with me 3 sometimes upon the great i m provements which he

had made or was meditating in the counties o f M
,
and ,

SI s ince I had been there 3 s o m e t M e s upon the merits

.

o f a Latin poet 3 and at other tim e s s uggesting s u bj ects t o

me on which he wishe d me to write ve r se s .

O n reading the le t ter s o n e o f my Jewi sh friends agreed

,

to furnish me with two or three hun d red poun d s on my

personal security provided I coul d persuade the young
earl who was b y the way not ol d er than my self to
, ,
- -

, ,

guarantee the pay m ent on o u r co m ing of age 3 the Jew s
nal obj ect being as I now suppo se not the triing prot
, ,

he could expect to make by me but the pro spect of ,

establishing a connection wi t h my n oble friend who se ,

immense exp e cta tions were well known to him In pur .

su a n ce of this pr0 po sa l o n th e part o f the Jew about eight ,

o r nine days after I h a d receive d the 1 0 I prepared to go ,

 ENGLISH O PI UM E A TE R -
.
31

d own to E ton N early 3 o f the money I had given to my

.

money lending frien d on his alleging that the stamps mu st

-

be bought in or d er that the writings might be preparing

,

whil st I was away from Lon d on I thought in my heart .

that he was lying ; but I d id not wi sh to give him any

excu se f o r cha r ging h is own delays upon me A sm aller .

su m I h a d given to my frien d the attorney (who wa s

connecte d with the money lenders a s their lawyer) to -
,

whi ch in d ee d he w as entitle d f o r h is unfurnished lodgin gs

, ,
.

About fteen shillings I had employed in re establi shing -

(though in a very humble way ) my dre s s O f the remainder .

I ga v e o n e quarter to Ann meaning o n my return to hav e

,

d ivi d e d with her wha t ever might remain Thes e arra n ge .

ments made soon after six o clock o n a d ark winter even
, ,

ing I se t o ff acco m panied by A n n t owar d s Piccadilly 3 for

, , ,

it wa s my intention to go d own a s far as S alt hill o n the -

Bath or Bri stol Mail O ur course lay through a part of

.

the to wn which h a s now all di sappeared so that I can no ,

longer retrace it s ancient boundaries S wallow S treet I ,

think it was calle d Having ti m e enough before u s h o w

.
,

ever we bore away to the left until we came into Golden

,

S quare ; there near the corner of S herrard S treet we sa t

, ,

d own 3 not wi shing t o part in the tumult and bla z e o f

Piccadilly I had told her o f my plan s some time before 3
.

a n d I n o w a s s u r ed her again that sh e should share in my

good fortune if I met with any 3 a n d that I would never

,

fors ake her a s soon a s I had power to protect her T hi s I

, .

fully intended a s much from inclination a s from a sen se of

,

d uty 3 f o r setting a side gra t itude which in any ca se mu st

, ,

h a v e made me her debtor for life I loved her a s aff ection ,

ately as if sh e had been my si ster ; and at thi s moment ,

wi t h s even fold tenderne ss from pity at witne ssing her

-

extre m e dej ection I h a d apparently mo st rea son for

.
, ,
 32 CONFE SSIONS O F AN

U
because I w a s leaving the saviour o f m life ; yet
d ej ection ,
I conside r ing the shock my hea lth h a d received w a s
, ,
w M

the hont ra ry who was

a n

cheerful and full o f h ope .

,

parting with o n e who had" h a d little means

W
m
hi
m m m . 4!

d
n

l f prg
,

e xc d n e ss ap ro t h e r at

by sorrow 3 that when

so I ki s se d
,
her at our nal farewell ,

"

sh e her arm about my neck a n d wept without speak

pu t s ,
s

fa
ing a word I hope d t o return in a week at fa r thest and
.
,

I agreed with her that o n the f t h night from that and ,

every night afterwar d s sh e would wait for me at six o clock
, ,

near the bottom o f Great T it che l d S tree t w hich had been ,

o u r customary haven as it were o f ren d ezvou s to prevent

, , ,

o u r missing each other in the great Mediterranean of O xfo r d

S tr e et. This and oth e r measures of precaution I took 3

one only I forgot S he had either never tol d me or (a s a
.
,

matter o f no great intere st) I had forgotten her s urname ,

.

It is a general practice indeed with girls o f humble ran k , ,

in her unhappy condition not (as novel rea d ing women o f ,

-

higher preten sions) to style them sel v esMiss Do u g la ss ,

Miss Mo n ta g u e etc but simply by their C hristian name s

, .
, ,

Ma ry Ja n e Fra n ces etc Her surname as the sures t

, , , .
,

mean s o f tracing her hereafter I ought n o w to ha v e ,

inquired 3 but the truth is havin g no rea son to think that ,

o ur me e ting could in consequence of a short interruption

, ,

be more d ifcult o r uncertain than it had been for so many

weeks I h a d s carcely for a m oment adverted to it as
,

necessary o r placed it amongst my memoranda against thi s

,

parting interview ; and my nal anxieties being S pent in ,

comforting h e r with hope s and in pressing upon her the ,

violent cou gh and W

I wholly forgot it

It was past eight o clock when I

r e ached the Glouce ster
 ENGLISH O PI UM E A TE R -
.
33

C off eehouse ; and the Bri stol Mail being o n the point of
-

going o ff I mounted o n the outside

,
The ne uent .

m otion * o f this Mail soon lai d me a sl e ep ; it is s omewhat

remarkabl e that the rst ea sy o r refreshing sleep w hi ch I

,

had enj oy e d for some months w a s o n the outsi d e o f a Mail ,

coach a bed which at this day I n d rather an unea sy

, ,

one C onnect e d with this sleep w a s a little incident which

.

serv e d a s hundreds of others did at that time to convince

, ,

me how ea sily a man who has n e ver been in any great

distres s may pass through life without knowing in his o w n
, ,

person at lea st anything of the po ssible goodness o f the

,

human h e arto r as I must add with a sigh o f it s po ssible

~

, ,

vileness S o thick a curtain o f m a n n ers is drawn over the

.

features and expression o f m e n s n a tumes that to the

,

ordinary ob server th e two e xtremities and the innite eld

, ,

o f vari e ties which lie betw ee n them ar e all confounded ,

the vast and multitudinou s compass of their several

harmonies reduced to the m e agre outline of di ff erences
expre sse d in the gamut or alphabet o f elementary sounds .

Th e case was this : for the rst four o r ve miles from

London I annoy e d my f e llow passenger o n the roof by
,
-

occasionally falling against him when the coach gave a

lurch to his side : and indeed if the road had been les s ,

s mooth and level than it is W m m , _

weakness O f thi s annoyanc e he complained heavily as

.
,

W t h e same circumstances mo st p e ople would ; ,

he expressed his complaint however more morosely than , ,

the occasion s e emed to warrant ; and if I had parted with ,

him at that moment I should have thought o f him ,

I had considered it worth while t o think o f him at all)

Th e Br ist o l Ma il is t h e b st a pp o i nt e d in t h e kingdo m owi ng t o

e

th e dou bl e a dva nta g s o f a n unusu ll y g o o d r o a d

e a , a nd o f a n e xt ra su m

f o r exp enses sub scri b e d b y t h e Bri st o l m e rch a nt s.

3
34 CO NFESSIONS O F AN

as a surly and almo st brutal f e llow Ho we ver I w a s .

,

conscious that I h a d gi v en him s ome cause for complai n t ;

and th er e fore I apologised to him and assured him I
, , ,

would d o what I could to avoid falling a sleep for the

future 3 and at the same tim e in as f e w words as po ssible
, , ,

M
I ex 1 n d to him that I was ill and in a w e ak state
'

g suerin g
M
'
dt m at

me
1 take an in side place This man s mann e r chang e d
0 .

upon h e aring this explanation in an instant ; and when ,

I next wok e for a minut e from th e noi se and lights o f

Hounslow (for in spite o f my wish e s and e ff orts I had
fallen asleep again within two minute s from the time I
had spoken to hi m ) I found that he had put his a rm
round me t o protect me from falling o ff 3 and for th e
rest o f my j ourney h e behaved to me with the gentlene ss
o f a woman so that at length I almost lay in his arms 3
, , ,

and this was the more kind as he could not have known ,

that I wa s not going the whole way to Bath o r Bristol .

U nfortunately indeed I d id go rather farther than I

, ,

intended 3 for so geni al and refreshing was my sleep that ,

the next time after leaving Hounslow that I fully awoke

, , ,

w a s upon the sudd e n pulling up o f th e Mail (possibly at a

Po st o fce ) and o n inquiry I found that w e had reached
-

, , ,

Maidenhead six or seven m iles I think a head o f S alt hill , ,

-
.

Here I alighted and for the half minute that the Mail,
-

stopped I was entreated by my friendly companion (who

,

from the tran sient glimp se I had had o f him in Piccadilly ,

seemed to me to be a gentleman s butlero r person o f that

rank ) to go to bed without delay This I promised though .

,

with no intention o f doing so 3 and in fact I immediately ,

se t for ward o r rather backward, o n foo t It mu st then , .

have b e en nearly midnight 3 but so slowly did I creep along ,

that I h e ard a clock in a cottage strik e four b e for e I

 ENGLIS H O PI UM E A TE R
-
.
35

tu r ned d own the lane fro m S lough to E to n The air a n d .

the sleep had both refre shed me 3 but I was weary never
t h e l e ss I remember a thought (obvious enough and which
.
,

has been prettily expres se d by a R oman poet) which gave

me some con solation at that moment under my poverty .

The r e had been some time before a murder committed on

o r near Hounslow Heath I think I cannot b e mistaken
.

when I sa y that the name o f the murdered person was

S t eele and that he was the o wner o f a lavender plantation
,

in that neighbourhood E very s t e p of my progress was

.

bringing me nearer to th e Hea t h and it naturally occurred

to me that I and the accused murderer if he were that ,

night abroad might at every instant be unconsciou sly

,

approaching each other through the darkness 3 in which

ca se said I supposing I in stead of b e ing (as ind ee d I am )
, ,

lit t le b e tter than an outcas t

L o r d o f m y l e a rn i ng a n d no l a nd b esi de ,

were like my friend Lord

,
heir by general repute to
,

per annum wha t a panic should I be under at

,

this moment about my throat indeed it was n o t likely ,

tha t Lord should ever be in my situation But

nevertheless the spirit of the remark remains tru ethat
.
,

vas t power and posse ssion s make a man shamefully afraid

o f dying ; and I am convinced that many o f the mo st
intrepid adventurers who by fortunately being poor enj oy
, , ,

the full u se o f their natural courage w o uld if at the very , ,

in stant o f going into action n e ws wer e brought to them

*

that they had unexpectedly succeeded to an estate in

It will b e o bject e d t h a t m a n y m en o f t h e high est ra nk a nd
,

we alt h h a ve in o ur o wn da y a s well a s t hro ugh o ut o ur hi sto ry be en

, , ,

a m o ng st t h e f o r e m o st in co ur t i ng d a ng e r in b a tt l e True 3 bu t t his is
.

n o t t h e c a se supp o se d ; l o ng f a m il ia ri ty wi t h p owe r h as t o t h em
d ea d e ne d it s e ff ect a n d it s a tt ra ct i o ns .
36 CONFE SSIONS OF AN

E nglan d o f a year feel their d islike to bullet s

-

con si d erably sharpene d and their eff ort s at perfec t equa

,

n im it and s elf po s se ssion proportionably di f cult S o true

y
-
.

i t is in the language o f a wise man who se o wn experience

,

had made him acquainted with both fortun e s that riches ,

are b e tter t t e d

To l ck en v ir tue a n d a b a t e h e r e dg e
s a , ,

Th a n t em p t h e r t o d o o ugh t m a y m e ri t pr i
a se .

P a rad ise Rega in ed .

I dally with my s ubj ect because to mysel f the remem , ,

brance o f thes e times is profoundly intere sting But my .

reader shall not have any further cause t o complain for I ,

now haste n to its close In the road b e tween S lough and

.

E ton I fell a sleep and j ust as the morning began to dawn

,

I was awakened by the voice o f a man stan d ing over me

a n d surveying me I know not what he was ; he was an
.

ill looking fellowbut not therefore o f nece ssity an ill

-

meaning fellow o r if he were I suppo se he thought that

, , ,

no person sleeping out o f doors in winter could be worth

-

robbing ; in which conclusion however as it regarded , ,

m y s elf I beg to as sure him if he should be among my

, ,

rea d ers that he was mi staken A fter a slight remark he

, .

pas sed on ; and I w a s not sorry at h is d i sturbance as it ,

enabled me t o pass through E ton before people were gene

rally u p The night had been hea v y and lo wering but
.
,

towards the m orning it had change d to a slight frost and ,

the ground and the tree s were now covered with rime I .

slipped through E ton unobserved wa shed my self a n d as , , ,

far as possible adj usted my dress at a little public house

,
-

W indsor and about eight o clock went down towards Pote s

,

.

O n my road I met som e j unior boys o f whom I mad e ,

in quiries A n E t o nian is always a gentleman and in

.
, ,
 3s CONFE SSIONS O F AN

oth e rs and I hav e thanked God sincerely that I ha v e

,

not ,
b e cause in my j udg m ent a station which raises a
, ,

man too emin e ntly above the lev e l o f his fellow creatur e s -

is not the most favourable to moral o r to intellectual

qualities .

Lord D place d befor e m e a most magnic e nt break

fast It was really so 3 but in my eyes it seemed trebly
m a gn ice n t from being th e rst regular meal th e rst
.

good man s table that I had sate d own to for month s

, .

S trange to sa y how e ver I could scarce eat anything O n

, , .

the day when I rst received my ten pound bank note I - -

,

had gone t o a baker s shop and bou ght a couple o f rolls 3
this very shop I had two months o r six w e eks before sur
v e y e d with an eagerness of desir e whi ch it was almost

humil iating t o me to recollect I remembered th e story .

about O tway and feared that there might be danger in

,

eating t o o rapidly But I had no need for . m

W n k and I became s ick b ef o re
d ,

eaten hal f o f what I had bought T h is e e ct from eating

W w
.
_

n t mu e d to sa s3
o r wh e n I d i d not exper i ence
,
o f w hat I

ate was rej ect e d sometim e s with acidity sometim e s imme

, ,

d ia t e l y and without any acidity

,
O n th e present occasion .
,

s tabl e I found myself not at all better than

at Lord D ,

u sual 3 and in th e midst o f luxurie s I had no appetite I

, , .

had however unfortunately at all times a craving for

, , ,

wine 3 I explained my situation therefore to Lord D , ,

a n d gave h im a s hort account o f my late suff erings at which ,

W 11 fo r W Thi s
'
 ENGLIS H O PI UM E A TE R -
.
39

indulgence in wine contributed to st re n a t he n m malad

and y a e ter r egimen it might sooner and perhaps ,

e ff ectually have be e n r e viv e d

,
I hope that it was not
.

from thi s love o f wine that I lingered in th e neighbourhood

o f my E ton friends 3 I persuaded myself then that it was

from re luctance to ask o f Lord D o n whom I was

conscious I had n o t sufcient claims the particular service ,

in que st of which I had come down to E ton I was how

e ver unwilling to lose my j ourney and I aske d it Lord
.
,

.
, ,

D whose good nature was unboun d ed a nd which in , ,

regard to myself had b e en m e asured rather by his com

,

pa ssion perhaps f o r my condition and his knowledge of my ,

intimacy w ith som e of his relatives than by an over ,

rigorous inquiry into th e extent of my own d irect claims ,

falte red neverthele ss at this r e qu e st He acknowle d ged

, , .

that h e did not like to hav e any d e alings with money

lenders and feared lest such a transaction might come to
,

the e ars o f his connexion s Moreover he doubted wh eth e r

.
,

his si gnature whose expectations were so much more

,

bounded than tho se o f would avail with my u n

C hristian friends However h e did not wi sh as it seeme d
.
, , ,

t o mortify m e by an absolute refusal 3 for after a little

consideration h e promised under certain conditions which
, ,

he pointed out to give his security Lord D

, was at .

this time not eighte e n years o f age ; but I have oft en

doubted o n recollecting since the good sense and pru d ence
,

which on this occa sion he mingled with so much urbanity

o f manner (an u rbanity which in him wore the grace o f

youthful sincerity ) whether any statesman the oldest

,

and the mo st accomplished in diplomacycould have

acquitted himself better un d er t h e same circumstanc e s .

Mo st people indeed cannot be a dd ressed on such a

, ,
4o CONFE SSI ONS O F AN

busin e ss without surveying yo u with looks as auster e and

unpropitious as those o f a S aracen s head .

R ecomforte d by this promise which was not quite equal ,

to the be st but far above th e worst that I had pictured to

,

myself as possible I returne d in a W indsor coach to London

,

three d ays after I had quitted it An d now I come t o .

the end of my story The J e ws did not approve o f

.

Lord D s terms 3 whether they would in the e n d have

acceded to them and were only s ee king time for m aking

,

due inquiri e s I know not 3 but many d e lays were made

,

time passed o n the small fragment o f my bank note had -

j u st melted away ; and before any conclu sion could hav e

been put to the business I mu st have relap sed into my ,

former stat e o f wretchedness S uddenl y however at this .

, ,

crisis an opening was mad e almost by accid e nt f o r r e con

, , ,

ciliation with my fri e nds I quitt e d Lo ndon in hast e for.

,

a remot e part o f E ngland ; after some time I proceeded

to the universit y and it was not until in a n y months h a d
,

p assed away that I

,
had it in my power again to revisit th e
round which had become so inte resting to me and to this
g ,

day remains so as the chief scen e o f my youthful suff erings

?
.
,

Meantime what had becom e o f poor An n

, Fo r her I
have reserved my concluding words A ccording to o ur .

agre e ment I sought her daily and waited for her every
, ,

night so long as I staid in London at the corn e r o f Titch

, ,

e l d S treet I inquired for her o f eve ry o n e who was likely

.

to kno w her ; a n d d uring the last hours o f my stay in

,

London I put into activity every means of tracing h e r that

,

my knowle d ge o f London suggested and the limited extent ,

o f my power made pos sible The street where sh e had .

lodged I knew but not the house ; and I remembered at

,

la st some account which sh e had given me o f ill treatment -

from her land l ord which made it probable that she had
,
 ENGLIS H 0 P1 UM E A TE R -
.
4r

quitte d tho se lodgings befor e we parte d S he had few .

acquaintance ; most people besides thought that the , ,

earnestness of my inquirie s arose from motives which

mo v ed their laughte r o r th e ir slight regard ; and others
,

thinking I was in cha se of a girl who h a d robbed m e o f

s ome t ri e s were naturally and excusably indi spo se d to
,

give me any clue to her if ind e ed they had any to give, , , .

Finally as my despa i ri ng re source on the day I left

, ,

London I put into the hands o f the only p erson who (I

w a s s ur e ) mu st know Ann by sight from having been in ,

company with us once or twice an addres s to in ,

shire at that tim e th e residence o f my family But

,
.
,

t o this hour I hav e n e v e r heard a W

,

This amongst such troubles as most men m e et with in

W ,

this life h a s been my heaviest af iction If sh e lived

,
.
,

doubtl e ss we must hav e b ee n som e t i mes in s earch of each

other at the very same mom e nt through the mighty
, ,

labyrinths o f London 3 p e rhaps ev e n within a few feet o f

each other
,

a barri e r no wi d er in a London street often ,

amounting in the end to a separation for eternity !

D uring som e years I hoped that sh e did live ; and I
suppo se that in the lite ral and unrhetorical u se o f the
,

word m yria d I may sa y that on my di ff erent v isits t o

,

London I have l o o ked into many many myria d s o f

, ,

female faces in the hope of meeting her I should know

, .

her again amongst a thousand if I saw her for a moment ; ,

for though not handsome sh e had a sweet expre ssion o f

, ,

countenance and a peculiar and graceful carriage of the

,

head I sought her I have said in hope S o it w a s for

.
, , .

years ; but n o w I should fear t o s e e her ; and her c ough

'

which gri e ved me w hen I parted with her is n o w my con ,

solation I now wish to se e her no longer 3 but think o f

.

h e r more gladly as on e l ong since laid in the grave 3 in the

, ,
42 CONFE SSIONS O F AN

grave I w o ul d hope o f a Magdal e n ; taken away before

, , ,

inj uries and cruelty had blotte d o u t and t ra n sgure d her

ingenuous nature or the brutalities o f rufa n s had completed
,

the ruin they had begun .

S o then O xford S tre e t stony h e art e d step mother ! thou

, ,
- -

at l ist e n e st to th e sighs o f orphans and d rink e st the tears

,

children at length I was di smiss e d from the e : the time

,

at la st that I no more should pace in angui sh thy

nev e r ending terraces 3 no more should dream and wake in
-

captivity to the pangs o f hunger S uccessors too many to

.
, ,

myself and An n hav e d o ubtless since then trodden in our

, , ,

footsteps inheritors o f o ur calamities : other orphans than

An n have sighed t e ars have be e n sh e d by oth e r children :
and thou O xford S tr ee t hast since doubtless e choed to th e
, , , ,

groans o f innumerable hearts Fo r myself howev e r the

.
, ,

storm which I had outliv e d s ee m e d to have b e en the ple d ge

o f a long fair weather 3 the pr e matur e suff erings which I
-

had paid down to have b ee n acc e pted as a ransom for many

,

years to come as a pric e of long immunity from sorrow :

,

and if again I walked in Lo ndon a solitary and contem ,

p l a t iv e man
(as oftentim e s I d id ) I walked for
, the mo st

part in serenity and peace o f mind An d although it is .

,

true that the calamities o f my noviciate in Lon d on had

struck root so deeply in my bodily constitution that after
wards they shot up and o uri shed afre sh and gre w into a ,

noxious umbrag e that h a s overshadowed and darkened my

yet th e se second assaults of su ff ering were met
mor e conrm e d with the r e sources of a
,

intellect and with alleviations from sympathising

,

how deep and tender

however with whatsoever alleviations years that
, ,

w e re far asunder were bound together by subtl e l inks o f

 ENGL IS H O PI UM E A TE R -
.
43

suff ering derived from a common root An d herein I notice .

an instance o f the shor t sightedness o f human d esires that ,

oftentimes o n moonlight nights during my rst mournful ,

abod e in London my consolation was (if such it could be

,

thought ) to gaze from O xfor d S treet up every avenue in

succe ssion which pierces through the heart o f Marylebone
to the el d s and the woods 3 for t h a t said I travelling with , ,

my eye s up the long vistas which lay part in light and part

in shade t h a t is the road to the N orth and therefore
, ,

to and if I had the wings o f a dove tha t way I would ,

y for comfort
Thus I sai d and thus I wi shed in my
.
, ,

blin d ness ; yet ev e n in that very northern region it was

, ,

even in that very valley nay in that very house to which

, ,

my erroneous wishes point e d that this second birth of m ,

-

ugly and as g hastl y p hant o ms ,

of an O restes : and in this

unhappi e r than 1 6 that sleep which comes to all a s a
, ,

respite and a re storation and to him especially as a , ,

*
ble ssed balm for h is wounded heart a n d his haunte d
brain vi sited me as my bitterest scourge Thus blind was
, .

I in my desires 3 yet if a veil interposes between the dim

,

sightedness o f man and his future calamities the same veil ,

hides from him their alleviations 3 and a grief which had

n o t been fear e d is met by con s olations which had n o t been

hoped I therefore who participate d as it were in the

.
, , , ,

troubles o f O re stes (exc e pting only in his agitated con

science
) participated
,
no l e ss in all his support s : my

E umenid e s like his w e r e at my bed feet and stared in

, ,
-

upon me throu gh the curtains : but watching by my pillo w , ,

o r d efraudin g her self o f sleep to bear me company through

( b i ker 191n mOch /

m
ar or m Ko vpoV uoa o v.
44 CONFE SSIONS OF AN

the h e avy watch e s o f th e night sate my E lectra for thou , ,

beloved M dear companion o f my lat e r years thou wast ,

my E lectra ! and neither in nobility o f mind nor in long

su ff ering aff ection wouldst permit that a Grecian si ster
,

s hould excel an E nglish wife Fo r thou thoughtest not

.

much to stoop t o humble ofces o f kindne ss and to s ervile ,

ministrations o f tenderest aff ection 3to wipe away for .

years th e unwhol e some dews upon the forehead o r to ,

refresh the lips when parch e d and baked with fever 3 nor ,

even when thy o wn peaceful slumbers had by long sympathy

become infected with the sp e ctacle o f my d read contest
with phanto ms and shadowy enemies that oft entim e s bade
me sl ee p no mor e not even th e n didst thou utter

,

a complaint o r any murmur nor withdraw thy angelic ,

smil e s n o r shrink fro m thy s e rvice o f lov e more than

,

E l e ctra did o f o l d Fo r sh e t o o though sh e was a Gr e cian

.
,

woman and th e daughter o f the king i o f men y e t wept

,
'

s o metimes and hid h e r face 1 in h e r robe

, .

But these troubl e s are past : and thou wilt read th e se

records o f a period so d olorous to us both as the legend o f
some hi d eous d ream that can r e turn no mor e Meantime I .
,

am again in London : and again I pace the terrac e s of O xford

S treet by nigh t : and oftentimes wh e n I am oppressed by ,

anxieties that demand all my philosophy and th e comfort

61; do vh e vua . E ur ip Orest . l d ua gdvdpwv

'

1 (Sa na 0 em m u ra da r
. Th e ch o la r will k no w t h a t t hr o ugh out
s

t his p a ssage I r e f e r t o t h e ea rly scenes o f t h e O rest es ; o ne o f t h e

m o st b ea u t i f ul exhi b i t i o n s o f t h e d o m e st i c a ff e ct i o n s whi c h e ve n t h e
d ra m a s o f Euripi d e s ca n f ur ni sh To t h e E n gl i sh r ea d e r i t m a y b e
.
,

n e c e ssa r y t o sa y t h a t t h e si t ua ti o n a t t h e o p e n i n g o f t h e d r a m a is t h a t
,

o f a b r o t h e r a tt e n d e d o nl y b y his si st e r d uri n g t h e d e m o n i a ca l p o sse s

si o n o f a suff e ri n g c o nsc i e n c e (o r in t h e m yth o l o g y o f t h e p la y

, ,

h a unt e d by t h e f uri es) a nd in circum sta nces o f i m m edi ate d anger

,

f ro m e ne m i e s a n d o f d e sert i o n o r co ld r e g a r d f r o m no m i na l f ri en ds
, .
 T H E PL E A S U R E S O F O PI U M .

T is
long since I rst took opium that if it had
so ,

been a triing incident in my life I might have ,

forgott e n its date : but cardinal events are n o t

to be forgotten 3 and from circum stances con
n e ct e d with it I remember that it mu st be referred to the
,

autumn o f 1 8 0 4 D uring that season I was in London

.
,

having come thither for the rst time since my entrance

at college .

W
following way From an early age I h a d been accustomed
.
in the

W h ead in cold water at least once a d a y z being ~

su dd e I eiz e d with toothache I attributed it to some ,

relaxation caused by an accidental intermi ssion o f that

practice ; j umped o u t o f bed ; plunge d my head into a
ba sin o f col d water 3 and with hair thu s wetted went to
sleep .The next mo r ning a s I need W ,
ke
"

with excruciating rheumatic pain s o f the head and face

.
,

dl y any resp ite f o rabout twenty days

- -w

f f b m v i i ch I l iad h ar
' y l

O n the twenty rst d a y I think it w a s and on a S unday

-
, , ,

that I went o u t into the streets 3 rather to run away if ,

possible from my torments than with any distinct purpose

, ,
.

B accident I m e t a colleg e acquain t ance who r e c o mm e nd e d

_
H M
 CONFE SSIONS O F AN OPI UM E A TE R
-
.
47

opi um O pium ! dread a gent o f unimaginable pleasure a n d

.

pain ! I had heard of it as I h a d o f manna o r o f A mbro si a ,

W e further : how unmeaning a soun d wa s it at that

time : what solemn chords doe s it n o w strike upon m y
hea r t ! w hat heart quaking vibrations of sa d and happy
-

remembrances ! R e verting for a moment to t h e se L

connecte d w iW J h e t im e a n d t h e man (if, w

man he wa s) that rst laid open to me th e Paradi$O of -

O pium eaters
-
I t was a Sdn d a y afternoon wet and cheer
.
,

less : and a duller spectacle this earth of ours h a s not to

show than a rainy S unday in London My road home .

war d s lay through O xford S treet 3 and near the st a t e ly

Pantheon (as Mr W ord sworth has obligingly called it) I

.
,

sa w a d r uggist s shop

.

o f cele s tial pl gg suresj as if in sympathy with the

S un d ay looked dull and stupid j ust as any mortal druggis t
, ,

might be expected to look on a S unday : and when I a sked ,

for the tinctu r e o f O piu m he gave it to me a s any other

,

man might do : and furthermore o ut of my shilling re , ,

t urned me what seemed to be rea l coppe r halfpenc e taken ,

o ut o f a real w ooden drawer N evertheless in spite o f

.
,

such indications O f humanity he has ever since existed in

,

him n sid e rin

that when I
g , ,

next came up to Lon d on I sought him near the stately

,

Pantheon and found him not : a n d thu s to me who kne w

, ,

not his name (if indee d he had o n e ) he seeme d rather to

have vanished from O xford S treet than to have removed
in any bo di ly fashion The reader may choose to think o f
.

him a s possibly no more than a sublunary dru ggi st : it

, ,

ma y be so : but my faith is better : I b elieve h im to hav e

 48 CONFE SSIONS OF AN

e v anesced or e vaporated S o u nwillingly would I connec t

,
*
.

any mortal remembrances with that hour and place and , ,

creature that rst brought me acquainted with the

,

A rrived
at my lo d gings it may be supposed that I l ost not ,

a moment in taking the qu anti t y prescribe d I was n e ce s .

sa ril ignorant o f the whole art and my stery o f opiu m

y
taking and what I took I to ok und e r e v ery disadvantag e
, ,
.

But I Hea v en s ! what a

re v u l si

eyes this was swallowed u in t

ne
gapi
y g e ct

m e n s1 t y o f t hb se po sitive eff ects which had 0 en before

me l n t he a by ss o f d i v ine Enj oyment W nl
y
revealed Here w as a panaceaa (t a ppa k o v wj
m

. m vde s for a l l

human woes here was the secret of happine ss about which

l
,

philosophers had disputed for so many ages at onc e di s ,

covered happiness might n o w be bought for a penny and ,

carri e d in the waistcoat pocket : portable e c sta sies might

be had corked up in a pint bottle and peace of mind could
be sent d own in gallons by the mail coach But if I talk .
,

in this way the reader wil l think I a m laughing : and I

,

E va n esced thi s wa y o f go ing o ff

t ge o f l i fe a pp ea rs t o h a ve
th e s a

b e e n well k n o wn in t h e seve nt e e nt h ce ntur y but a t t h a t ti m e t o h a ve

-
,

b e e n co nsi d er e d a p e cul i a r pri vil eg e o f b l o o d r o ya l a n d b y n o m ea n s t o -

,

b e a ll owe d t o d r uggi st s Fo r a b o ut t h e y e a r 1 68 6 a po e t o f r a th e r
.
,

o m i no us n a m e (a n d wh o b y t h e b y d id a m p l e j ,
-
ust ice t o h is na m e )
-
,

v iz Mr Fla t m a n in sp eaking o f t h e d ea t h o f Ch a rl es I I expresse s

.
, .
-
, .
,

h is surpri se t h a t a ny pri nce sh o ul d co m m i t so a b sur d a n a ct a s d y i ng 3

because sa y s h e
, ,

Kn ig h s s o ul d i i t d i d ly d i
d sd a n o e , an on sapp ea r .

T h e y h
s ou ld a bsco nd , t h t i i t t h t h r w rl d
a s, n o e o e o .
 ENGLISH OPI UM E A TE R -
.
49

can assure g wh o deals

much with

N e v ertheless I have a very reprehensible way o f j e sting at

,

ti m es in the mi d st of my o wn misery 3 and unles s when I ,

am checked by some more powerful feelings I am afraid I ,

shall be guilty o f this in d ecent practice even in these

annal s of su ff ering or enj oyment The reader must allow a .

little to my inrm nature in this re spect : and with a f e w

in d ulgence s o f that sort I shall endeavour t o be as gra v e
, ,

if not d rowsy as ts a theme like opium so anti mercurial

, ,
-

a s it really is and so d rowsy as it is fal sely reputed

, , .

A n d r st one wor d with re spect to it s b tl lu ent u

, ,

for upon all that has been hitherto writ t en o n the

/ .

s
pW iu m whether by travellers in T urkey (who
,

may plea d their privilege o f lying a s an old immemori al

right) o r by profe ssors o f me d icine w r iting can ca the d ra
ro n o u n ce Lie s
, , ,

I have but O e m Tf at l c o f iti

' I

lies ! lies ! I remember once in pa ssing a book stall to

M
-
, ,

t these words from a page o f some sati r ic

anth e m
W
Lon d on new spapers S poke truth at least twice a we e g
t t he

d a y a n d might s afely be depended

,

OW ET i e s W and Sa t dr
h

,

upon for the li st o f bankrupts .

by no means d eny that some truths deli v ere d

to the wor l n rp gar O opium thus it has been re -

p e a t e dl
y a rm e d by the learne d that O pium 1 8 a dusky

that it is rather d ear 3 w hich al so I gr ant : f o r in my time ,

g
'

O piu m has b eg; uin e as a po un d

d
an ,

T h rke y e i g ht : and th ir dl y that if you eat a goo d d eal of

, n o
 50 CONFE SSIONS OF AN

it most
,

sit io n s
are all and singular true : I cannot
, ,

gainsay them and truth e v e r was and will b e comm e nd , ,

able But in these thre e theorems I b eli ev e we hav e

.
,

exhaust e d the stock o f knowle d ge as y e t accumulat e d by

man o n the subj ect of O pium An d therefo re worthy .
,

doctors as there seems to be room for further discoveri es

, ,

stand aside and allow m e to com e forward and lectur e on

,

this matter .

First then it is not so much afrmed as tak e n for

, ,

granted by all wh o e ve
d e nt a l l
,

t hat i t do e s o r can pro d ug i W

W ct

N ow , ,

rea d er assure yourself m eo pericu lo that n o Quantity of

, , ,

O pium ever did o r could in t g xi g atm

,
A s to th e tincture
m pi um (OOIHm Ohly cia ll e d laudanum ) tha t might ce rtainl y
- -I

intoxicat e if a man could bear to take enough of it ; but

l
.
why ! because it contains so much proof spirit and n o t ,

f
o b e ca u se it contains so much opium But crude opium I .
,
C
a f rm p

I S

the quantity O f its eff ects ty ,

that it diff ers altogether The plea sure gi ven by wine is .

alway s mounting and tendin g t o a crisi s after which it

, ,

declines 3 that from opium when once generated is st a , ,

t io n a ry for eight o r ten hours ; the r st to borrow a ,

O f t hi s h o we ve r t h e l ea r n e d a pp ea r l a tt e rl y t o h a ve d o ub t e d :
, ,

f o r in a pira t e d e d i t i o n O f Buch a n s Dom est ic Med icine whi ch I o nce

sa w in t h e h a nd s o f a f a r m e r s wi f e wh o was stud y i ng i t f o r t h e b e n e t

o f h er h e al t h t h e Do c t o r wa s m a d e t o sa Be p a r t icula rl y ca r e f ul
, y
n e v e r t o ta k e a b o ve ve a n d t we nty o u nces o f la u d a num a t o nce 3

- -

t h e t rue r ea d i ng b e i n g pr o b a bl y ve a n d twe n ty d rops whi ch a re h el d

- -
,

e ua l t o a b o u t o n e gr a i n o f c rud e o pium
q .
 ENGLISH OPI UM E A TE R -
.
5:

technical distinction from m e di cine is a case o f acut e ,

the second the chronic pl e asur e : the on e is a ame the

, ,

other a steady a n d equabl e glow But the main di stinction .

lies in thi s that whereas wine disor d ers th e mental faculties

, ,

O pium on the contrary (if taken in a proper manner ) intro

, ,

duces amongst them the most exquisite order legislation , ,

a n d harmony W in e r obs a man o f his self posse ssion ;

.
-

O pium greatly

loves and the hatreds O f the drinker ; o pium o n the opp ; r

,

t ra ry
L
communicates se rgpity a nti equip o is e to a ll t h e
_ _ _ ,
_

y e 3 and with respect t o th e t e m p e r

f agpl/t ie s ggtive o rp a ssj
k g

it gives s imply that sort o f

an e xpansion t o th e h e art and the bene

vol e nt a ff ections 3 but then with this r e markabl e diff erence
, ,

that in th e sudden dev el o pment o f kind h e art ed ness which -

accompanies inebriation there is always mor e or le ss of a

,

mau d lin character which exposes it to the contempt of th e

,

bys t ander Men shak e hands swear ete rnal friendship

.
, ,

and shed tears no mortal knows why 3 and the sensual

,

creature is clearly uppermost But the expansion of the .

benigner feelings incident to opium is no febril e access

, , ,

but a healthy restoration to that state which the mind

would naturally recov e r upon the r e moval o f any deep
seated irritation o f pain that had disturbed and quarrelled
with the impul ses o f a heart originally j ust and good True .

it is that even wine up to a c e rtain point and with certain

, , ,

men rather tends to exalt and to stead y the inte l lect ; I

,

myself who have never been a great wine drinker used t o

j
-
, ,
52 CONFE SSIONS O F AN

nd that half a dozen glasses o f win e advantageou sly aff ected

- -

the facultiesbrightened and intensied the consciou sness ,

and gave to th e mind a feeling o f being po n d e rib u s librata

suis 3 and certainly it is most absurdly sai d in popular ,

language o f any man that he is disg u ise d in liquor ; for

, , ,

o n the contrary most men are disguised by sobriety ; and it

,

is when th e y ar e drinking (as s ome o l d gentleman says in

At h e n mus) that men e a v ro t s epm
'
a vl o w w o ir w e s ( lo iv

f
-
'
,

di splay them selves in their true complexion o f character 3

which surely is not di sguising themselves But still wine
m
.
,

constantly l e ads a man t o the brink c

W
extravaganc e 3 and beyond a ce rt a l n po m t i t i s sur e to
o o o o

, ,

v o a t i se and t o di spers e th e intellectual energies 3 whereas

'

o ium al wa 3 seems to com p ose w

W
'

en a i t a t e d o
'

c ,

n d to concentrate what had been distracted In short to

a .
,

sum up a in o n e wO f df a man who is inebriated or ten d ing

- - i l

to inebriation is and feels

, , o n d it io n which W
calls up into supremacy the m e rely human t o o often the ,

brutal part o f his natur e ; but th e O pium eat e r (I speak o f -

him who is n o t suff ering f rom any disea se or oth e r remote ,

e ff ects o f O pium ) feels that the di v iner part o f his nature is

paramount ; that is the moral aff ections are in a state of
,

cloudle ss serenity 3 and over all is the great light of the

maj estic intel lect .

T his is the d octrine o f the tru e church o n the subj ect o f

opium o f which church I a
,
self to be the

to
a large and
the u n scie n
c d o f opium and even of ,

thos e who have written expres sly o n the materia medica ,

make it evid e nt from the h orror they express o f it that

, ,

t heir experim e n t al knowl e dg e o f its acti o n is non e at all I .

54 CONFE SSIONS O F AN

principl e o r with any view to prot but s ol ely and simply

, , ,

s aid h e solely and simply s olely and simply (repeating it

thre e tim e s over) b e cause I am drunk with opium and t ha t

, ,

d aily

. I r e pl i e d that as to the allegation o f his enemie s
, ,

as it s ee m e d to be establi shed upon such respectable testi

mony seeing that the thre e parties concerned all agree in
,

it it did not becom e m e to qu e stion it 3 but the defence se t

,

up I mu st demur to He proceeded t o discuss the matt e r

.
,

and to lay down his reasons 3 but it seem e d t o m e so

impolit e to pursue an argu ment which must hav e presumed
a man mi staken in a point belonging to his o wn profe ssi o n ,

that I did not press him even when his course of argu ment
seem e d op e n t o Obj e ction ; not to mention that a man who
talks non sen se even th ough with no vi e w to prot is not
,

,

altogether the most agreeabl e partner in a dispute whether ,

as opponent or re spondent IW m .
m th e l

aut q
h gi y
t of a s u gg gq n and o n e who,
wappepg
s t e F
g o
-
o d
m

o ne m a
y se e m
n a m e i
g h t ym n e t o but still I
w
, i

M
r

q
m ig n ce which was e ,
his
grea s by and though i t was not
M
,

o sibl se a m edical m an unacquainted with the

p p o

characteristic symptoms of vinous intoxication it yet ,

struck me that h e might proc e ed o n a logical error o f

u sing the word intoxication with too great latitude and ,

extending it gen e rically to all modes o f nervo us e xcitement ,

in stead o f re stricting it a s the expre ssion for a s pecic sort

of excit em e nt connected with certain diagnostic s
,
S o me .

people have maintained in my hearing that they had been

, ,

d runk u pon g r een tea ; and a me d ical student in London ,

for whos e knowl e dge in his profe ssion I ha v e reason to feel

great respect assured m e the o t her day that a p atient, in

w
,

r an illne ss had got d runW ,

b e a f st ea k .

dw e lt so much o n this rst and leading error in

w
x

avm ,
g
 us 0
7 I

ENGLISH OPIUM E A TE R -
.
5
5
respect to O pium I shall notice v e ry briey a s e cond a n d a
,

W
thi r d which are that the elevation o f spirits ro d u ce d b
,

Opium is n e cessarily f o ll o w e d pression ,

W e n imm e diate consequence o f

O pium is torpor and stagnation animal a n d mental The , .

rst o f these errors I shall cont e nt myself with simply

denying 3 a ssurin my rea d er that for t e n years during ,

which I took opium at interva ls th e day succ e e ding t o that ,

o n w hi ch I allowed 111 self this l u f u r was always a day o f

m
We ee e
it s
o

ith r spect to the torpor supposed t o follow or rather ,

( if w w re to credit th numerous picture s of Turki sh

O pium eate rs) to accompany the practice of O pium eati n g I

- -

W
deny that also C erta inl y o ium is classed under the head
W
.
,

W il d some W

end ; but the primary e ff ects of O p ium are always a n d in ,

the highest degr ee t o W , W W

this rst stage of its action always la ste d with me during ,

my noviciate for upwards of ei ght hours 3 so that it mu st

,

be th e fault o f the O pium e ater him self if he does n o t so

-

time his e xhibition o f the do se (to speak medically ) as that

the whole weight o f its nar cotic inuence may descen d upon
his sl e ep. Turkish opium eaters it s e ems a re absu r d -
, ,

enough to sit like so many equestrian statues on logs o f

, ,

wood as stupid as t hemselv es But that the reader may .

j u d ge o f the degre e in which opium is likely to stupefy the

faculties of an E ngli shman I shall (by way o f t r eati n g ,

the question illustratively rather than argumentatively) ,

d e scribe the way in which I my self often pa sse d an opiu m

evening in Lon d on during the period between 1 8 0 4
, 18 12 .

It wil l be seen that at l e ast opiu m did not move me to

,

seek solitude a n d much less to seek inactivity or the torpi d

, ,

state of self involution ascribed to the Turks

-
I gave this .
6
5 CONFESSIO N S O F AN

account at th e ri sk of being pronounced a crazy enthu siast

o r v isionary ; but I regar d tha t little 3 I must d e sire my
reader to bear in mind that I was a har d student and at ,

severe studies for all the re st of my time 3 and certainly I

had a right occa sionally to relaxations as well as other
people 3 these however I allowed my self but seldom
, ,
.

The late D uke o f used to sa y N ext Friday by

, ,

the ble ssing o f Heaven I propo se to be drunk 3 a n d in lik e

,

manner I use d to x beforehand how often within a given ,

time and when I would commit a d ebauch o f O piu m

, ,
.

This was seldom more than og cgm h re e weeks 3 for at

that time I coul d n om n t ure d to 6 5d (as I

did afterward s) for a g la ss of la u d a n u m n eg u s wa rm a n d , ,

wi tho u t s ug a r

N o ; as I have said I seldom d r ank
.
,

laudanum a t that time more than once in three weeks 3

, ,

this was usually o n a Tue sd ay o r a S a t urdaym i g ; my

rea son for which was t hi s I n tho se d ays Grassin i sang at
the O pera and her voice was delightful to me beyond all
,

that I had ever h e ard I kno w not what may be the state o f
.

the O pera house now having never been within it s wall s

-
,

for seven o r eight years but at that time it was by much ,

the most plea sant place o f public resort in London for

pa ssing an evening Five shil lings admitted one to the
.

gallery which was subj ect to far less annoyance than the
,

pit o f the thea t res 3 the orche stra was di stinguished by its
sweet and melodious g r andeur from all E ngli sh orche s t ra s ,

the composition o f which I confess is n o t acceptable to my , ,

ear from the pre d ominance o f the clamorous in strument s

, ,

and the ab solute ty r anny of the v iolin The choru se s were .

divine to hear 3 a n d when Gra ssini appeared in some

interlude a s sh e often d id and poure d fo r th her passionate
, ,

soul a s A n d ro m ache at the tomb of Hector etc I question

, , .
,

whether any Turk o f a l l that e ver entered th e Paradise o f

,
 ENGLISH 0 P! UM E A TE R -
.
5
7

Opium eaters can have h a d half the plea su r e I had But

-

, .
,

indeed I honour the Barbarians t o o much by suppo sing

,

the m capable o f any pleasures approaching to the intel

lectual ones of an E ngli shman Fo r mu sic is an int e llectual .

o r a s en sual p lea sure accor d ing to the temperament o f him

,

w h o hear s it An d b y the b y with the exception o f

.
,
- -

the ne extravaganz a on that subj ect in Twe l fth N ight I ,

d o not recollect more than one t hing said adequately o n the

s ubj ect of mu sic in all literature 3 it is a pa ssage in the

R e lig i o Medici of
*
S ir T Brown 3 a n d though chiey .
,

r ema r kable for it s subli m ity has al s o a philo sophic value , ,

ina smuch as it points to the true theory o f mu sical eff ec t s ,

The mi stake o f most p e ople is to suppo se that it is by the

ear they communicate with music and therefore that they , , ,

are purely passive t o it s e ff ects But thi s is n o t so ; it is .

b the reaction o f th e mind upon the notices o f the ear

W
that the plea sure is con structed ; and therefore it is that
W W
peop le o f equa lly good ear d ie r so much in thi s point fro m

m
o n e another N ow 0 m b re a t l y increa sing the activity
.

o f the mind ge

mode o f a ct iv it by whic h we are a hle to con s t ruct o u t

lectual lea sure But says a friend a succe ssion o f musical

.
, ,

soun d s is to me like a collection o f Arabic charac t ers ; I can

attach no idea s to them Idea s my good sir there is no . ?
occa sion for t hem 3 all that class of idea s which can be ,

available in such a ca se h a s a language of repre sentati v e ,

feelings But this is a subj ect foreign to m y pre sent pur

.

po ses 3 it is su icie n t to sa y that a chorus etc o f elabo r ate , ,

.
,

Ih v t th a e no e b o ok t hi s m o m en t t o co nsul t ; bu t I thi nk t h e
at

p g b gi
a ssa e e ns An d v e n t h a t t a ve r n m u sic whi ch m a k e s o n e m a n
e ,

m rr y th r m a d in m e st r i k es a d e e p t o f d e v o t i o n

e a no e e tc , .
, ,
5
s CONFE SSIONS O F AN

harmony display e d befor e m e as in a piece o f arras work , ,

the whole o f my past l if e not as if recalled by an act of ,

m emory but as if present and incarnat e d in the music 3 no

,

longer painful to dwell upon 3 but the detail o f its incidents

removed o r blended in some hazy abstraction ; and its pas
,

sions exalted spirituali sed and sublimed A ll this was to

, , .

b e had for v e shillings A n d over and above the mu sic o f

.

th e stage and the orchestra I had all around me in the , ,

intervals o f th e p e rformanc e the music o f the Italian ,

language talk e d by Italian women ; for the gallery was

u sually crowded with Italians ; and I listened with a
pleasur e such as that with which W eld the tra v eller lay
and list e ned in C anada to the sweet laughte r of Indian
, ,

w om e n ; for the l e ss y o u understand O f a l anguage the ,

more sensible yo u are to the melody or harshness of it s

sounds 3 for such a purpose th e refore it was an advantage , ,

to m e that I was a po o r Ita lian scholar r e ading it but ,

littl e and not speaking it at all n o r und e rstanding a t e nth

, ,

part of what I heard spoken .

Th e se w e re my opera pl easure s ; b ut another pleasure I

had which as it could be had only o n a S aturday night
, ,

occasionally struggl e d with my love o f the O pera ; for at ,

that time Tuesday and S aturday wer e th e regular O pera

,

nights O n this subj e ct I am afraid I shall be rather

.

ob scur e but I can assur e the reader not at all more so

, , ,

than Marinus in his life o f Proclus o r many other ,

biographers and autobiographers o f fair reputation This .

pleasure I have said was to be had only o n a S aturday

, ,

night W hat then was S aturday night to me more than

?
.

any other night I had no labou rs that I r e sted f r om ; no

wages to receiv e 3 what needed I t o care for S aturday
night more than as it was a summon s to hear Grassini
, ?
Tru e most logical r e ad e r what y o u say is unansw e rabl e
, , .
 ENGLIS H O PI UM E A TE R -
.
5
9

An d yet it was and is that whe r eas di ff erent men

so , ,

throw their feelings into di ff erent channel s and most are ,

apt to show their interest in the conc e rns o f th e poor ,

chiey by sympathy e xpressed in som e shap e o r other

, ,

with their di stresses and sorrows I at that time was d is , , ,

posed to express my intere st by sympathising with their

pleasures Th e pains o f poverty I h a d lately se e n too
.

much of ; m ore than I wi she d to rem e mb e r 3 but the

pleasur e s o f the poor their consolations of S pirit and their
, ,

repos e s from bodily toil can never become oppressive to ,

cont e mplate N ow S aturday night is the season for the

.

chi e f re gular and periodic return o f re st o f the poor ;

, ,

in this p o int th e most hostil e s ect s unite and acknowledge a ,

common link of brotherh oo d 3 almo st all C hristendom rests

fro m its labours It is a rest introducto ry to an o ther re st 3
.

and divided by a whole day and two nights from the

ren ewal of toil O n this account I feel always o n a
.
,

S aturday night as though I also were rel eased from some

,

yoke of labour had some wage s t o receiv e and some

, ,

luxury o f repose to enj oy Fo r the s ake therefore .

, ,

o f witn e ssing u pon as large a scale as po ss ible

, a spec ,

tacle with which my sympathy was so entire I u sed ,

often on S aturday nights after I had taken opium

, , ,

t o wander forth without much regarding the direction

,

or the d istance to all the markets a n d other parts of

, ,

London to which the poor re sort on a S aturday night for

, ,

laying out their wages Many a family party consi sting .

,

Of a man his wife and sometimes o n e o r two of his

, ,

children have I li stened to as they stoo d consulting o n

, ,

their w ay s and means or the str e ngth o f th eir exchequer

, ,

o r th e price of hou sehold articles Gradually I became .

fa m iliar with their wish e s their d ii cu l t ie s and their , ,

O pinions S ometim e s th e re might b e h e ard murmurs of

.
60 CONFE SSIONS OF AN

discontent but far of t ener expres sions on the countenance

, ,

o r uttered in words of patience hope and t r anquillity

, , ,
.

An d taken generally I mu s t sa y that in this point at

, , ,

lea st the poor are far more philo sophic than the rich
,

that they sho w a mor e rea d y and cheerful submission to

w hat they con si d er as irremediable e v il s o r irreparable ,

lo sses W henever I sa w occa sion or coul d d o it without

.
,

appearing t o be intru sive I j oined thei r partie s a n d ga v e

, ,

my opinion upon the m atter in discu ssion which if not , ,

j u d iciou s w a s always received in d ulgently

,
If wages were .

a little higher or expected to be so o r the quartern loaf a

, ,

little lower o r it was reported that onions and butter we r e

,

expected t o fall I was glad 3 yet if the contrary were true

, , ,

con solin m self Fo r g .

overrule all f rigalipg g i n t o complii npe with the ma ster key

,

e rambles 163 m e to great di stances ;

'

ome o Esj _for

an
O pium eater is too happy to ob serve the mot io n
-

A n d sometimes in my attempts to steer homewar d s upon

,
w ,

nautical principles by xing my eye o n the pole star a n d

,
-

seeking ambitiously for a north west passage in stead o f -

,

circumnavigating all the capes and headlands I h a d

d oubled in my outward voyage I came suddenly upon such ,

knotty problem s o f alleys such enigmatical entries and , ,

such sph yn x s rid d le s o f street s without thoroughfares as ,

mu st I conceive bafe the audacity o f porter s and con

, , ,

found the intellects of hackney coachmen I coul d almo s t -

.

have belie v e d at time s that I mu st be the r st d iscoverer

, ,

o f some o f the se t e rree in cog n it as and doubted whether ,

t hey had been laid down in the modern charts of Lon d on .

Fo r all this however I pai d a heavy price in d i stant year s

, , ,

when the human fac e tyranni se d over my d reams and the ,

 62 CONFE SSI ONS O F AN

th e gr e at t o wn o f L at about th e sam e distance that I ,

have sate from sunset to sunrise motionless and without

, , ,

0 move .

be charged with mysticism Behmenism quietism , , ,

t ha t shall not alarm me S ir H V ane the

. .
,

younger was o n e o f our wis e st men 3 and let my readers

,

se e if he in his phil o sophical works b e half as unmystical

, ,

as I am I sa y then that it has often struck me that the

.
, ,

s cene its e lf was som e what typical of what took plac e in

such a r e v e ri e Th e to wn o f L
. r e pres e nted the earth ,

with its sorrows and its gra ve s l e ft behind yet n o t o u t o f ,

sight nor wholly forgotte n The oc ean in e verlasting but

,
.
,

gentle agitation and brooded ov e r by a dov e like calm

,
-
,

might n ot u nt ly typify the mind and the mood which th e n

sway e d it Fo r it s eem e d t o m e as if then rst I stood at a
.

d istance and aloof from the uproar o f l ife 3 as if the tum u lt

, ,

the fever and th e strife w e re suspended 3 a respite granted

, ,

from the secr e t burthens o f the heart 3 a S abbath of repo se ;

a resting from human labours Here w e r e the hopes which
.

blo ssom in the paths o f life reconciled with the pea ce which
,

is in the grave ; motions o f the intel lect as unw e aried as th e

heavens yet for all anxieties a halcyon calm ; a tranquillity
,

that see m ed no product o f in e rtia but as if resulting from

,

mighty and equal antagonisms ; innite activities innite ,

repose .

subtle and ,
that to the hearts
R
for the wounds that will n ever heal ,

and f o r th e pangs that tempt the spirit t o rebel bringest

,

an assuaging balm 3g l gquent m pium i t h a t with thy potent '

rhetoric s t e a l e st away the purposes of wrath ; to the guilty

m a n for o n e night give s back the W
,
nd

hand s wa shed pure from blood 3 and to the prou d man a brief ,

wrongs undress e d and insults u n a ve n g d 3

oblivion for
 ENGLISH OPI UM E A TE R
-
. 63

that sum m o n e st to the chancery o f dreams for the triumphs

,

o f su ff ering innocence false witne sses ; and co n f o u n d e st

,

perj ury ; and dost rever se the s entence s of unrighteous

j u d ges 3thou builde st upon the bosom of darkne ss out o f
,

the fanta stic imagery o f th e brain citie s a n d temple s

, ,

beyond the art o f Phidia s and Praxiteles b eyond the

splen d our o f Babylon and H e k a t m pyl o s ; and from the

anarchy o f dreaming sleep calle st into sunny light th e

,

faces Of long buried beautie s and the ble ssed hou sehold
-
,

countenances clean sed from the dishonours o f the grave
,
.

Thou only givest the se if t and thou ha st the keys

o f Paradise o h j u st subtle and mighty opium
, ,
, ,
I N T RO D U C T I O N T O T H E PA I N S O F
O PI U M .

O U R T E O U S,and I h O pe indulgent reader (for

, ,

all m y readers mu s t be in d ulgent one s o r el se , ,

I fear I shall shock them t o o much to count on

,

their courtesy ) having accompani e d me thus fa r

, ,

now let me reque st you to mo v e onwa r ds for about eigh t

yea r s 3 that is to sa y from 1 8 0 4 (when I have sai d that m y
,

acquaintance with opium r st began ) t ea r s

o f academic life are now o v er a n d gone
I

the student s cap no longer pre sse s my temples 3 if my cap
exi st at all it presses those o f some you t hful scholar I
, ,

tru st as happy as myself a n d a s pas sionate a lo v er o f

, ,

k nowle d ge . My gown is by thi s time I dare sa y in the

, , ,

same condition with many thou san d of excellen t book s in

the Bodleian viz d iligently perused by certain studiou s
.
,

m oth s and wor m s o r d eparte d ho w ever which is all that

( ,

I kno w of its fate ) to that great re servoir of so m ewh ere to

, ,

which all the tea cup s tea ca dd ie s tea pots tea kettle s etc
-
,
-

,
-

,
-

,
.
,

h a v e departed (not to speak O f still frailer ve ssels such as ,

gl a sses decanters bed makers

, ,
which occa sional resem
-

blances in the present ge n e ration o f tea cups etc remind -

,
.
,
 C O A FE S S I O N S O F A N
'
OPI UM EA T ER -
. 65

me of ha v ing once po sse ssed bu t o f who se d e parture and ,

nal fa t e I in com m on wi t h m o st gown sm en o f either

,

university could gi v e I su spect but an obscure and

, , ,

conj ec tural hi s t ory The per secutions of the chapel bell

.
-
,

sounding it s unwelcome summons t o six o clock matin s ,

interrupts m y slu m bers no longer ; the porter who rang i t ,

upon who se b eautiful nose (bronze inlaid wi t h copper) ,

I wrote in re t alia t ion so m any G r e e k epigram s whil s t I

, , ,

wa s d re ssi n g is d ead and h a s cea sed to di st urb anybody ;

, ,

and I and many others who su ff ered m uch fro m his tintin
, ,

n a b ul o u s propen si t ies have n o w agreed t o o v erlook h is

,

errors and have forgiven him E v en with the bell I a m

,
.

now in chari t y ; it rings I suppo se as form erly t hrice , , ,

a da and cruelly annoys I d oubt no t m any worthy

y
-

, , ,

gen tlemen and di sturb s t heir peace o f mind but as to m e

, ,

in this year 1 8 1 2 I regard it s treacherous voice no longer

,

( treacherou s I call i t for by some rene m ent of malice it

, , ,

s poke in as swee t and silvery tone s as if i t had been inviting

o n e t o a party its tones have no longer indeed power to , ,

reach m e let the wind sit as favourable as t he m alice o f

,

t he bell i t self could wi sh f o r I am 2 50 miles away fro m it , ,

and buried in t he depth of mountains i l m

W
.

m Y e s but
?
.
,

what el se Why reader in 1 8 1 2 the year we are n o w

M
, , ,
W
.

arri ved at a s well a s for som e years pre w o u s I have been

0

, ,

chiey stu d ing Ger m an metaphy sics in t heJ r ng w f

,

an t , Fich tg p h e llin gi etc n d how and in what m a n

?
.
,

ner do I live In short, W at cla ss or de scription of m e n

?
I am at this period viz in 1 8 1 2 living
,

do I belong to .
,

na m e of m housekeeper

An d, a scholar and a man
as
'
y .
,

o f l o a rn e d s en se a gentleman I may ,

5
66 CONFESSIONS OF AN

presume to cl a ss myself as an unworthy m e m ber o f that

inde nite body called g en t le m en Partly o n the ground I .

have a ssigned perhaps par t ly b e cause from my ha ving

, , ,

no visible calling or busine ss it is rightly j udged that I

mu st be living o n my private fortun eI a m so classed by
,

m y neighbours ; and by the courte sy o f m odern E ngland

/
,

I am u sually addres sed o n letters etc esqu ire t hough , .

, ,

having I fear in th e rigorous con struction o f heral ds but

, , ,

slender pretensions to that d i stingui sh e d honour Y e s in .

,

popular estimation I a m Y Z e squire but not Ju stice

?
. .
,
,
, ,

of the Peace nor C ustos R otulorum Am I married N ot

?
.
,

ye t An d I still take opiu m

. O n S aturday night s 3 and ,

perhaps have taken it unblu shingly ever since the rainy
,

S unday a n d the stately Pan t heon and the b e a t ic
?
, ,

druggi st o f 1 8 0 4 E ven s

e aderladie s in of

s can be exp e cted

In fact if I dared
W
.
,

E; real and si m ple t ruth though to satisfy the ,

theorie s o f m edical men I o u g ht to be ill I never was

w
,

better in my life than in t and I hope

sincerely t ha t t h e quan t it y 0

claret por t o r particular , ,

Madeira which in all probability you good reader have

, , , , ,

tak en and de sign to take for every term o f eight years

, , ,

during your natural life may as little di sorder your heal t h

,

a s mine was disordered by t he opium I had t aken for eight

years between 1 8 0 4 and 1 8 1 2 Hence you m a y se e agai n

,
.

t he danger o f takin g any medical advice fro m An a sta s iu s :

in divinity for aught I know o r law h e m a y be a s afe coun
, , ,

se ll o r but not in m edicine

, N o 3 it is far better to con sult
.

Dr Buchan as I did 3 for I nev e r forgot that worthy man s

.
,

excellent sugges tion ; and I was particularly careful not

to take above ve and twenty ounces o f laudanum
-

To .
 ENGLIS H 0 P1 UM E A 7 E R

-
. 67

t his moderation a n d temperate use o f the article I may

ascribe i t I suppose that as yet at least
, , in 1 8 1 2 ) I
,

am i orant and u n suspi cm u s o f th e ayenging ie rrprs which" m u u m

At t he
s ame t i m e i t mu st n o t be forgotten that hitherto I have
,

been practice
even ,
n t inter

val s
u m neces sary to me as an ar t icle o f d aily diet .

But now cog n a diff erent era Move o n if you plea se

l

/
.
| , ,

reader to 18 1 3 I n the summer o f the year we have j u st

, .

quitted I hTa suff ered much in bodily heal t h fro m distress

1

o f mind connected with a ver m elancholy event Thi

y . s .

ev e nt being no ways related to the subj ect now be ore m e ,

further than through th e bodily illness which it produced I ,

n ee d n o t m ore particularly n otic e W he t h e r thi s il lne ss o f

.

1 8 1 2 had a n y share in that of 1 8 1 3, I kno w not 3 b ut so it

-
u st i ca t io n the whole o f w
self j hat follows may be said to
,

hinge An d here I nd m y self in a perplexing dile m m a

. .

E ither o n t he o n e hand I mu st exhau st the reader s
, ,

patience by such a detail of my malady and o f my

, ,

struggle s with it as m ight su f ce t o e s t abli sh the fact of

,

my inability to wre stle any longer with irrita tion and

con stant su ff ering ; o r o n the o t her hand by pa ssing
, ,

lightly over thi s critical part o f my story I must forego ,

the ben e t o f a stronger impre ssion lef t on the mind o f t h e

reader and mu st l a y m yself open to the mi scon struction
,

of having slipp e d by the easy and gradual steps of

68 CONFE SSIONS OF AN

self indul ging p ersons from the rst to th e nal stage o f

-

O piu m eating (a misconstruction to which there wil l be a

-

lurking pr e disposition in mo st readers from my previous ,

acknowledgment s) Thi s is the dile m m a 3 the rst horn of

.

which would b e s u f ci e nt t o toss and gore any colu m n o f

patient readers tho u gh drawn up sixteen deep and con
,

st a n t l relieved by f re h men con equently t h t is no t to

y s ; s a

be thou ght of I t remains t hen that I po st u la t e so much

.
,

as is necessary for my purpo se An d let m e take as full .

credit for what I postulate as if I had de m on strated it ,

good reader at the expen se o f your patience and my own

, .

Be not so ungenerou s as to let m e su ff er in your good

opinion thro u gh my o wn forbearance and regard f o r your
co m fort N o 3 believe all that I a sk o f you viz t hat I
. .
,

could resist no longer believe it liberally and a s an act o f

, ,

grace or el se in m er e prudence 3 for if not then in the

, , ,

n ext edition o f m y O pium C onfessions revi sed and enlarged ,

I will make you believe and tremble 3 and a f o rce d e n n u yer

,

by mere dint o f pandiculation I will t e rrify all readers o f

min e from ever again q uestioning any po stulate that I shall
think t to make .

Thi s t hen let me repeat I postulate that at the ti m e I

, , ,

?
gi ake o pium daily ,

W hether indeed a ft5w

,
ards I might not hav e succeed e d in
,

breaking o ff the habit even when it seemed to m e that all

,

e ff orts would be u navailing and whether many o f t he ,

innu m erable e ff orts which I d id m ake m ight not have been ,

carried m uch fur t her and m y gradual reconque st s of ground

,

lo s t m ight not ha v e been followed u p much m ore energe tic

allythe se are que stions which I mu st decline Perhap s .

I might mak e o u t a ca se of palliation 3 but shall I S peak

?
,

ingenuou sly I confes s it as a besetting inrmity o f mine , ,

that I am t o o much of an E ud aemonist ; I hanker too much

7o C ONFE SSIONS O F AN

d ate, the reader is t o con sider me a s a regular and con

rm e d opiu m eater o f w hom t o a sk wheth er o n any
-

particular day h e had or had not taken opium would be to ,

a sk whether his lung s had performed re spiration o r the ,

heart fullled its functions You understand n o w reader

.
, ,

wh at I am 3 and you a re by t hi s ti m e aware that no o l d ,

gentleman ,
wi t h a snow whi t e beard will have any
-
,

chance o f per suading me to surrender the lit t le golden

receptacle o f the pernicious drug N o 3 I give no t ice to .

all whether morali st s o r s urgeons that wha t ever be their

, , ,

pretensions and skill in th e ir resp e ctive line s of practice ,

they must n o t hope for any countenance fro m m e if they ,

think t o begin by any savage propo sition for a Lent o r

R amadan o f ab s t inence from O piu m This then being all .

fully under stood between u s we shall in f uture sail before ,

the wind N ow then reader fro m 1 8 1 3 where all this

.
, , ,

ti m e we hav e been si t ting down and loiteringri se up if ,

you please and walk forward about t hre e years more N o w

,
.

draw up the curtain and you shall see me in a new

,

character .

If any man poor or rich were to say that h e would tell

, ,

u s what had been the happiest day in his life and the why ,

and th e wherefore I suppo se that we should all cry o ut

,

Hear him hear him As to the happiest d a y tha t mu st ,

be very difcult for any wi se m a n to nam e ; becau se any

even t that could occupy s o di stinguished a place in a m an s
retrospect o f his life o r be entitled to ha v e shed a special
,

felicity o n a n y o n e day ought to be of s uch an e nduring

,

character a s that (accidents apart ) it should ha ve continued

to shed the same felicity or one not dis tingui shably le ss o n
, ,

m any years together To the happiest lu str u m however

.
, ,

o r e v en to the happiest y ea r it may be allowed t o any man

,

to point w i t hout discountenanc e from wi sdo m This year .

,
 ENGLISH OPI UM E A TE R -
.
7:

in my ca se reader was the one which we have now reached ;

, ,

t hough it sto od I con f e ss a s a parenthe sis between years

, ,

o f a gloomier character I t was a year o f brilliant water .

) s e t a s it w e re and
(t o speak a f ter the m anner o f j ewellers , ,

in sulated in the gloom and cloudy melancholy o f opiu m

, .

S trange as it may sound I had a li ttle before t hi s tim e ,

descended suddenly and without any considerable e ff ort , ,

*
from 32 0 grains o f O piu m eight thousand drop s o f
laudanu m ) per day t o forty grains o r o n e eigh t h part ,
-
.

In stantaneou sly and as if by magic the cloud of profoundest

, ,

melancholy which re sted upon my brain like s o m e black ,

vapours tha t I have seen roll away fro m the su m m its o f

m oun t ain s dre w o ff in one day (vvxq ncpo v) 3 pas sed o ff
,

wi t h it s murky banners a s si m ultaneo u sly as a ship that

h a s been stranded and is oated o ff by a s pring tide
,
-

T h a t m o v e t h a l t o g e t h er , if it m o ve a t a ll .

N ow then I w a s again happy ; I now t ook o nl 1 0 0 0

, ,

dro s o f l danu m da an latter

spring had co m e t o close up the s ea s on of youth 3 m brain

W
perform ed its functions a s h e a l t h il a s ver read
f a n cie d that I
did Again m y feelings o f plea sure expanded thems elves
.

t o all around me ; and if any man from O xford o r C a m

bridge o r from neither had been a n nounc e d to me in my
, ,

unpre t ending cottage I should have welcomed him with a s ,

I h
r reck o n twenty ve dro p s o f l aud a num a s e quiva l en t t o o ne
e e -

grain o f o pium wh ich I b elieve is t h e co m m o n e sti m a te However

, , , .
,

a s b o t h m a y b e co n si d e re d v aria b l e qua ntiti e s ( t h e c ru d e O p ium v ary

ing m uch in st re ngt h a nd t h e tinct ure still m o re ) I supp o se th a t n o

, ,

in nit e sim a l a ccura cy ca n b e h a d in such a ca l cul a tio n Te a sp o o ns .

-

va ry a s m uch in siz e a s o pium in stre ngth Sm a ll o n es h o ld a b o ut 1 00 .

d ro p s 3 so th a t 8 0 0 0 d ro p s are a b o ut eigh ty tim es a t e a spo o nf ul The -

.

re a d r see s h o w m uch I k e p t Wi t h in Dr B uch a n s i n d ulg e n t a ll o wa n ce

e . .
72 CONFESSIONS O F AN

su m ptuous a rec e ption as so poor a m a n could o ff er What .

ever el se w a s wan t ing to a wi se man s happiness o f lauda

,

num I woul d have given him as much as he w ished and in ,

a golden cup An d by the way now t hat I speak o f giv 1 ng

.
, ,

laudanum away I re m ember about t hi s ti m e a little i n ci

, , ,

dent which I mention because t ri ing as it was the

, , , ,

reader will soon meet it again in m y dream s which it ,

inuenced more fearfully than could be im a gin e d

day a Malay knocked a t my door What bu sine ss a Malay
O ne
.
r
could hav e to tran sact a m ong st E ngli sh mount ain s I canno t ,

conj ecture ; but po ssibly he was o n h is road t o a seaport

about forty mil e s di stant .

The servant who O pened the door t o him was a young

girl born and bred a m ongst the mountain s who had never ,

s een a n A sia t ic dres s o f any sort ; h is turban therefore , ,

confounded her not a li ttle ; and a s it turn ed o ut that h is , ,

attain m ent s in E ngli sh were exactly o f the same extent a s

hers in the Malay there see m ed t o be an impassable gulf
,

xed between all co m munication o f ideas if ei ther par ty ,

had happened to posse ss any In this dilem ma the girl .

, ,

recollecting the reputed learning o f her m a st er (and ,

doubtle ss giving me credit for a knowledge o f all t h e lan

,

guage s o f the earth be side s perhap s a few o f the l unar

, , ,

one s) came and gave me to un d ers ta nd that there was a

,

sort o f d emon b elow who m sh e clearly i m agined t hat m y

,

ar t could exorci se fro m t he house I did not i m mediately .

go down 3 bu t when I did the group which pre sen t ed i t sel f

, , ,

arranged a s it was by accident though not very elaborate , ,

took hold o f m y fancy and my eye in a way that none o f t he

sta t ue s que at t i t ude s exhibi t ed in the ballet s at the O pera

Hou se though so os tentatiously co m plex had ever done

, ,
.

I n a cottage ki t chen but panelled o n the wall wi t h dark

,

wo o d that from age and rubbing re sembled oak and looking ,

74 C ONFE SSIONS O F AN

To him as an O rientali st I concluded that O pium m u st be

, ,

fa m iliar 3 and the expre ssion o f his fac e convinced m e that

it was N evertheless I was struck with some li t tle conster
.
,

nation when I sa w him suddenly rai se his hand to h is

mouth and (in the school boy phra se) bolt the whole
,
-
,

divided into t hree piece s at one mouthful The quan t ity , .

w a s enough to kill three dragoons and t heir horse s 3 and I

fel t so m e alar m for t he poor creature ; but what could be
d one ?
I had given h im the opium in com pas sion for his
soli t ary life o n recollecting that if he had t ravelled on foot
,

fro m London i t mu st be nearly three week s since he could ,

h a v e exchanged a thought wi t h any human being I could .

n o t think o f violating the law s o f hospitali t y by having ,

h im seized and drenched wi t h an emetic and thus frighten ,

ing him into a notion that we were going to sacri ce h im

to some E ngli sh idol N o : there wa s clearly no help .

f o r it 3 h e took h is leave and for so m e days I felt ,

anxiou s ; but as I n ever heard o f any Malay being

*
found dead I beca m e convinced that he was u sed to ,

o ne nig ht of w the

hi h w v r i t c ry c clu i 3 t h v ri ti f ff ct
T s, o e e , s no a n e essa on s on e a e es o e e

p duc d b y pi m d iff t c tituti

ro e o i it
u AL d on e re n o ns o ns a re n n e. on on

M gi tr t ( H i tt S t ggl th gh L if
a s a e l iii p 39 1 Th ird
a rr o

s ru es ro u e , vo . . .
,

E d iti ) h onr c rd d t h t
,
as t h r t cc i f h i tryi g l d um
e o e a , on e s o as on o s n au an

for t h g ut h t k f
e o ty dr p t h
, xt igh t i ty d
e oo t h fth or o s, e ne n s x , an on e

n igh t ighty with ut y ff ct Wh t v r ;

e , d th i t odv c d an e e a e e an s a an a an e

a g e. I h v c d t far m c ue tr y urg
an h w v r
a newh ic h o e o a o n s eo n , o e e ,

i k M H rri tt c
s n s r. i t tri 3 d i m y pr j ct d m d ic l
a o

s a se n o a e an n o e e e a

tr ti
ea se p ium wh ich I will pub li h pr vid d t h C ll g f
on o , s , o e e o e e o

Surg will p y m f
eons ligh t i g th ir b igh t d u d r t di g
a e o r en en n e en e n e s an n s

up t h i ubj ct I will r l t it 3 b t it i f t g d t ry t b
on s s e , e a e u s ar oo oo a s o o e

pub li h d gr ti
s e a s.
 ENGLISH OPI UM E A TE R -
.
75

This incident I have digre ssed t o mention becau se this ,

Malay (partly from the picturesque exhibition he assisted

to frame partly fro m the anxiety I connected with
,

h is i m age for s ome day s) fa stened afterwards u on m y

L
dream s and brought h a w
I

, ys w it h h im w o rs e

t han hi m self that ran

a muck ,
*
at m e and led m e -

,

and to re t urn to my in tercalary year o f happine ss .

I ha v e s aid already that o n a subject so i m portan t t o u s all

,

a s happine ss we should li sten wi t h plea s ure to any m an s
,
I

v experience o r e x pe rim e n t s even though he were but a ,

plough boy who cannot be supposed to have ploughed v ery

-

d eep into s uch an intractable s oil a s t hat o f hu m an pains

and plea sure s or to have conducted his re searche s upon any
,

very enlightened principles But I who have taken happi .

,

nes s both in a solid and a liquid shape both boiled and

, ,

unboiled both E a st India and Turkeyw h o have conducted

,

m y exp e riments upon thi s intere sting s ubj ect with a s or t o f

galvanic battery and have for the general benet o f t he ,

world i o cu la t e d m yself a s i t were with the poi son o f 8 0 0 0

g, , ,

drop s o f laudanu m per day (j u st for the s a m e reason a s a , ,

French surgeon inoculate d hi m self lately with cancera n

E ngli sh o n e twen ty years ago with plagu e and a third
, , ,

.2 I know n o t of what nation with h yd ro ph o b ia ) lI (it will , ,

be ad m i tted ) m u st surely know wha t happines s is if any ,

body does A n d therefore I will here lay down an

.
, ,

analysi s of happine ss 3 and a s t he m o st intere sting m ode of

co m m unicating i t I will give it not didactically bu t
, , ,

wrapped up and involved in a picture o f o n e eveni ng a s I ,

s pe nt every evening during t he intercalary year when

See t h e co m m o n a cco un ts in an y Eastern tra ve ll er o r vo ya ger o f
t h e f ra n ti c exce sses co m m itte d b y Ma l a y s wh o h a v e ta k e n o p ium o r ,

are re d uce d t o d es p e ra tio n b y ill l uck a t ga m b lin g .

 76 C ONFE SSIONS O F A N

laudanum though taken daily w a s to m e no more than the

, ,

>3 elixir of pleasure This done I shall quit the s u bj ect of

.
,

happiness altogether and pa ss to a very di ff erent one the

,

i ns of op i u m
pa .

J L e t there be a cottage standing in a valley eighteen

L
P , ,

m ile s fro m any town no spacious valley but abou t two ,

mile s long by three quarters of a m ile in average wid t h 3

,
-

the bene t o f which provi sion is t hat all th e fa m ily re si ,

dent wi t hin its circui t will co m pos e a s it were o n e larger , ,

household per sonally fa m iliar t o your eye and m ore or le ss ,

intere sting t o your a e ct io n s Let t he m ountain s be real

moun t ain s between three and f m

.

,
u sa n d f ee t high ; and

t he cottage a real cottage not (as a witty author h a s i t ) a

,

cottage wi t h a double co a ch h o u se 3 let it be in fac t (for I e

mu st abide by the actual scene ) a white cott age e m bowered , ,

wi t h owering shrub s so cho sen a s to unfold a s ucce ssion of

,

owers upon t he wall s and clu stering round the windows ,

through all the m onth s o f s pring su m m er and au t umn , ,

beginning in f ac t wi t h Ma y ro se s and ending w i th j

, , as ,

mine Let it ho wever n o t be spring nor s u m m er nor

.
, , , ,

autu m n but winter in his sterne s t shape This is a m ost .

i m portant point in the science o f happiness A n d I a m .

s urpri sed to se e people overlook it and t hink it mat t er of ,

congra t ulation t hat win t er is going o r if co m ing is not , , ,

likely to be a severe o ne O n t he con t rary I pu t up .

,

a petition annually for a s m uch sno w hail fro st o r , , , ,

stor m ,
of o n e kind o r other as the skie s can po ssibly ,

a ff ord us S urely e v erybody is aware o f the divine

.

plea sure s which attend a winter re side 3 candles at

four o clock warm hearth rug s tea a fair tea m aker
,
-
, ,
-

shutters clo sed curtains owing in ample draperies o n

,

the oor whil st th e wind and rain are raging audibly

,

wi t ho u t ,
78 C ONFE SSIONS O F AN

su sceptibl e of inuenc e from so ren ed a stimulan t will ,

always be th e favourite bev e rage o f the intellectual 3 and ,

for my part I would have j oined Dr Johnson in a he liu m

, .

in tern ecin u m again st Jonas Hanway o r any other impious ,

person who should presume to di sparage it But here to

, .
,

save m yself the trouble o f too much verbal descriptio n I ,

will introduc e a painter and gi v e him dir e ctions for the ,

re st of the picture Painters do not like white cottages

.
,

unle ss a good deal weather stained 3 but as the reader n o w -

understan ds that it is a winter night his services will not .

,

be required except for the inside of the house

, .

Paint me the n a room seven t een fee t by tw elve and

, , ,

not mor e than sev e n a nd a half feet high This reader is -

.
, ,

so m ewhat ambitiou sly s t yled in my fa m ily t he drawing , ,

room ; but being contrived a double debt to pay it is
, ,

al so and more j ustly t e rmed t h e library 3 for it happens

, ,

that books are the only article o f property in which I am

richer than my neighbours O f t hese I have about v e .

thou sand collected gradually since my eighteenth year

, .

Therefore paint e r put a s m any as you can into this room

, , .

Make it populous with books ; and furthermore paint m e , ,

a good re ; and furnitur e plain and mod e st betting t h e ,

unpretending cottage of a scholar A n d near the re pain t .

,

me a t ea table 3 and (as it is clear that no crea t ure can

-

come to s e e o ne such a stor m y night ) place only t w o cup s ,

and saucers o n the tea tray 3 and if y o u know how to paint

-
,

s uch a thing symbolically o r otherwi se paint me an eternal , ,

te a pote t e rnal a pa rt e a n te and a pa rt e po st ; for I u sually ,

drink tea from e ight o clock at night to four o clock in t he

m orning . An d as it is v e ry unpl e a sant to make tea or to

, ,

pour it o ut f o r on e self paint m e a lovely young wo m an ,

si t tin g at the table Paint h e r ar m s like Aurora s and her

.

,

smiles lik e Heb e s But no cl ear M

. n o t e v e n in j est let,
 ENGLIS H OPI UM E A TE R -
.
79

me insinuat e that thy power t o illumina t e m y cottage re sts

upon a tenure so perishable as mere personal beauty ; or
that th e witchcraft o f angelic smiles lies within the empire
of any earthly pencil Pass then m y good painter to .
, , ,

so m e t hing more wi t hin it s pow e r 3 and the next article

brought forward should naturally be m y selfa picture o f

the O piu m eater2 with h is little golden re ce pt a c e o t e
-

perniciou s dru g lying b e sid ehim o n the As to t he
opiu m I have no obj ection to se e a picture o f tha t though
, ,

I would rath e r see t he original ; y o u m a y paint it if y o u

choose 3 but I appri se yo u that no little receptacle ,

would even in 1 8 1 6 answer m y purpose who was at a dis

, , ,

tance from the stately Pantheon and all druggist s ,

( m ortal o r otherwise ) N o ; you may a s well paint t he

.

real receptacle which w a s not of gold but o f gla ss a n d as

, , ,

m uch like a wine decanter a s possible

-
Into this you m a y .

put a quar t of ruby coloured laudanum ; that and a book of

-
,

Germ an Metaphy sics placed by its side will su f ciently ,

atte st my being in the neighbourhood 3 but as to my self ,

t here I de m ur I admit that nat urally I ought t o occupy

.
, ,

t he foreground o f the picture ; t hat being the hero o f the

piece or (if yo u choo se ) the cri m inal at t he bar my body
, ,

should be had into cour t This see m s reasonable 3 but why

?
.

should I confess o n t his poin t to a painter o r why confe ss

?
, ,

a t all If t h e public (in t o who se priva t e ear I am con

d e n t ia l l y whi spering m y confe ssion s and not into any ,

painter s) should chance to have framed so m e agreeable
pic t ure for itself o f the O pium eater s exterior should
,
-

ha v e ascribed t o h im ro m antically an elegant person o r a

, , ,

hand som e face why should I barbarou sly t ear from it so

?
,

plea sing a delu sion pleasing bo th to the public and to m e

N o 3 pain t m e if at all according to your own fancy 3 and
, , ,

a s a painter s fancy should te em with b e autiful crea tion s I

,
80 CONFE SSIONS O F AN

cannot fail in that way to b e a gainer And now reader

, , .
, ,

we have run through all t h e ten categories of m y conditio n

as it stood about 1 8 1 61 7 3 up t o the middle of which
latter year I j udge myself to have been a happy man 3 and
the element s o f that happiness I have e ndeavoured t o place
before yo u in the a b Ov e s ketch o f the interior o f a S cholar s
,

library in a cottage among the mountains o n a s t or m y

, ,

win t er evening .

Bu t now farewella long farewell to happine ss winter

or sum m er ! farewell to sm iles and laughter ! farewell to
peace o f mind ! farewell to hope and to tranquil dream s ,

and to the blessed consolati on s o f sleep ; f o r m ore than

three years and a half I a m sum m oned away from the se 3 I
-

a m now arrived at an Iliad o f woes

3 for I hav e now t o
record

TH E P A I N S O F O P I UM .

wh en so m e grea t p a int er dips

as

His p enci l in t h e gl o o m o f e arthqua k e a n d e cl i p se .

S H E L L EY

SR
evo l t o
f I sla m .

E ADE R who have thus far accompanied me I

, ,

must reque st your attention t o a brief explanatory

note o n three points
1 For several reasons I have n o t been able
.
,

to com po s e the no t es for t hi s part of m y narra t ive into any

regular and connected shape I give the note s di sj ointed
.

as I n d the m o r hav e now drawn them up from me m ory

, .

S om e o f the m point to th e ir o w n date 3 some I have dated 3

and som e are undated W henever it could answer my
.

p u rpo se to transplant th e m fro m th e natural or chronological

order I have n o t scrupled t o do so S ometi m es I speak in
,
.
82 CONFE SSIONS OF AN

mad e at t empts innumerable to reduce the q uantity I add .

,

t hat tho se who witne ssed the agonie s o f tho se attempts ,

and not my self were th e rst to beg me t o desist Bu t

,
.

could not I have reduced it a drop a day o r by adding

?
-

wa t er have bi sected o r tri sected a drop

,
A thou s and
drops bi sected would t hus ha v e taken nearly six years t o
reduce 3 and t hat way would certainly no t have answered .

Bu t thi s is a com m on mi stake o f t ho se who know nothing

o f O piu m experimentally ; I appeal to t ho se w h o do w he t her ,

it is n o t always found that down to a certai n point it can

be reduced with ea se and e ven pleasure but that after that
, ,

point f rt h e r reduc tion cau se s intense sp e ring w Yes say

, a
,

many thoug kno w not what th ey are

t alking o f you will su ff e r a li t tle l o w spirits and dej ection
,

for a f e w days I an swer no ; there is nothing like l o w

.
,

S pirits 3 o n the contrary the mere animal spirits are u n co m

,

m ouly rai sed : th e pul se is impro v ed : the health is better .

It is not t here that the su ff ering lie s It h a s no re semblance

.

to the su ff erings caused by renouncing wine It is a state .

o f unutterable irrita t ion o f stomach

(which surely is not

much like dej ection ) accompanied by inten se perspiration s

, ,

and feelings such as I shall not atte m pt to describ e without

more space at my com m and .

I shall now ent e r in m ed ia s res and shall anticipate

, ,

from a t ime wh e n my opium pains might be said to be

at th e ir a e m an account of their pal sying e ff ects on t he
,

int ell e ctual facul t ies .

My st udies have now be e n long interr upted I cannot .

r e ad t o myself with any pleasure hardly with a mo m ent s

,

endurance Ye t I read aloud someti m e s for the plea sure

.

o f other s 3 becau se re ading is an accompli sh m ent o f m in e ;

,
 ENGLISH OPI UM E A TE R -
. 83

and in the slang u se o f t he word a cco m p lishm e n t a s a

,

s upercial and orna m ental at t ain m en t al m o s t the only o n e ,

I po sse ss : and form erly if I had any van ity at all con
,

n e ct e d wi t h any endowment o r at t ain m ent o f mine it ,

w a s with thi s 3 for I had ob s erved tha t no acco m pli sh m en t

w a s so rare Players are the wors t readers o f all :
.

rea d s v ilely and Mrs who is so celebra t ed can read

,
,

no t h ing well but dram a t ic com po si t ion s Milton sh e canno t

read s u e ra b l y People in general ei t her read poe try
'

without any pa ssion at all o r el se over step t he m ode s t y o f

,

na ture and read n o t like s cholars O f late if I have felt

,
.
,

mo v ed by anything in book s it h a s been by the grand ,

lam enta t ions o f S a m p son A goni ste s o r the great har m onies ,

o f t he S atanic speeche s in Paradi se R egained when read ,

aloud by my sel f A young lady so m e time s co m e s and

.

drink s tea wi t h u s at her re q ue s t and M s I now and

8 poe m s to t he m
(

then read W W b y t h e b
y i
.s - -

the only poet I ever m e t who could read his o wn vers e s :

of t en indeed he read s admirably ) .

For nearly two years I believe that I read no book b ut

o n e 3 and I owe i t to the au t hor in di scharge o f a grea t
,

debt o f grati t ude t o m en tion wha t t hat w a s The subli m er

,
.

and m ore pa ssionate poets I still read a s I have said by , ,

s natche s and occa sionally

,
But my proper vocation a s I
.
,

well kno w w a s the exerci se of the analytic understanding

,
.

N ow for the m ost part analy t ic studies are continuou s

, , ,

and n o t t o be pur sued by t s and s tarts o r fragmen t ary ,

e ff ort s Mathema tics for in stance in t ell e c t ual philo sophy

.
, , ,

e t c were all beco m e in supportable t o m e : I shrunk f rom

.
,

t he m with a sen se of po werles s and infan t ine feeblene ss

tha t gave me an anguish t h e greater fro m re m em bering the
ti m e when I grappled with the m t o my o wn h ourly delight 3
and for thi s furth e r re as on becau s e I had devoted the
,
84 CONFESSIONS OF AN

la b our o f my whole life and had dedicated my in t ellect , ,

blo ssoms and fruits to the slow and elaborate toil o f

,

con struc t ing o n e single work to which I had presu m ed to

give th e title of an unni shed work o f Spin o sa sviz
,

.
,

De em en d a t io n s h u m a n i in t e l lectus Thi s was n o w lying .

blocked up a s by fro st like any S pani sh bridge or aqueduc t

, , ,

begun upon too great a scale for the re sources o f the

architect 3 and instead o f surviving me as a monu m ent o f
,

w i she s at lea st and a spiration s and a life o f labour dedicated

, ,

to the exaltation o f human nature in that way in which God

had best tted me to prom ote so great an obj ect i t was ,

likely to stand a m e m orial to m y children o f hopes defeated ,

of bafed e ff orts o f material s u sele ssly accu m ulated o f

, ,

foundation s laid that were never to suppor t a super

structure , o f the grief and the ruin o f the architect I n .

this state o f i m becili ty I had for a m u se m ent turned my

, , ,

a t tention to political economy ; m y underst anding which ,

form erly had been a s active and re stle ss as a hyena could ,

no t ,
I suppo se (so long a s I lived at all ) sink in t o ut t er
le thargy ; and poli t ical econo m y o ff ers t hi s advantage to a
person in my state that though it is emin e ntly an organic
,

science (no part that is to sa y but what acts o n the whole

, , ,

a s the whole again re acts o n each part) -

yet the several ,

parts may be detached and conte m pla t ed singly Great as .

w a s t he pro stration o f my power s a t thi s t ime yet I could ,

not forget my knowledge ; and m y understanding had

been f o r too many years inti m ate with s evere thinkers wi t h ,

logic and the great ma sters o f knowledge n o t to be

, ,

aware o f the utter feeblenes s o f the main herd o f modern

economi sts I had been led in 1 8 1 1 to look into load s o f
.

books and pa m phlets o n many branches o f econom y 3 and at

my desire M ,
some t imes read to me chapters from m ore
recen t work s o r par t s o f parliamentary debate s I sa w that
,
.
86 C ONFE SSIO N S O F A N

a col l ection o f ten t a t i v e discu ssion s into a science o f regu l ar

propor t ions n e w rs t s tanding o n an eternal ba sis
, .

Thu s did o n e single work o f a profound understanding

avail t o give me a plea sure and an activity which I had not
known for years it roused me e v en to write o r at least , , ,

t o dicta t e what M wrote for me It seem ed to me tha t .

,

so m e i m portant truths had e s caped even the ine v itable
eye o f Mr Ricardo : and a s t h e se were for th e m o sr

.
, ,

part o f such a nature that I could expre ss or illu strate

,

t hem more briey and elegantly by algebraic sy m bol s t han

in the usual clum sy and loi t ering diction of econo m i sts the ,

whole would not have lled a pocket book 3 and being so -

brief wi t h M
,
for m y a m anuen si s even at t hi s t i m e , ,

incapable as I was of all general exer tion I d rew up fny ,

Pro leg o m en a t o a l l f u tu re S yst em s of Po li t ica l E co n o m y .

I h O pe it will no t be found redolent o f opiu m ; though ,

indeed t o mo st people t he subj ect it self is a su i cie n t

, ,

O piate .

Thi s exer t ion howe v er was bu t a te m porary a sh 3 a s

, ,

the sequel showed for I de signed to publi sh my work :

arrangem en t s were made at a pro v incial pre ss abou t ,

eigh t een m ile s di s t ant for prin t ing it

,
A n addi t ional .

co m po si t or was re t ained for s o m e d ay s on this accoun t

, , .

The work w a s even twice adver t i sed : and I was in a ,

m anner pledged to the full m ent of m y intention

,
Bu t I .

had a pre f ace t o write ; and a dedication which I wi sh ed ,

t o m ake a S plendid o n e t o Mr R icardo I found m y self

, . .

qui t e unable to accom pli sh all thi s The arr angem en t s .

were coun t erm anded : t he co m po si t or di sm i ssed : and m y

Pr o leg o m en a re sted peacefully by t he side of it s elder
and m ore dignie d brother .

I have t hu s described and illu strated m y inte l l ect u a l

t orpor in t erms that apply m ore or le ss to every par t o f
, , ,
 ENGL I S H OPI UM E A TE R -
. 87

t he four y e ars during which I wa s under t he C ircean spells

o f O piu m . But for mi se ry a n d su ff ering I migh t i n deed
_ , , ,

be said to have existed in a d orm ant sta te I seldo m could

_
N
.

prevail on m y self t o write a letter 3 an an swer o f a f e w

words to any that I received was the u t most that I could
, ,

accomplish 3 and often tha t not until the letter had lain
week s o r even m onth s on my writing table Without t he
, ,
-
.

aid o f M all record s o f bill s paid o r t o be paid mu st , ,

have peri shed : and m y whol e domestic economy wha t ,

ever became of Political E cono m y mu st have gon e into ,

irretrievable confu sion I S hall not afterwards allude to

.

thi s part of th e ca se : it is o n e how e ver which the opiu m

, ,

ea t er will nd in t he end a s oppre ssive and torme nting a s

, ,

any other from the sense o f incapacity and feebleness from

, ,

t he direct embarra ssm ents t o the neglect o r p ro

c ra st in a t io n W
-

dEyShppro pria t e dutie s and from the

,

re m orse which mu st of t en exa sperate the stings of thes e

e vils t o a re e ctive and con scien tious mind The Opium .

eater lo ses none o f his moral sensibilities or a spiration s he

wishes and longs as earne stly as ever to reali se what he
, ,

believes po ssible and f eel s to be exacted by duty 3 but his

,

intellectual apprehen sion of w hat is po ssible inni t ely out

run s h is power no t o f execution only bu t e v en o f power to
, ,

a t te m p t H e lie s u nder the weight of incubu s and n ight

.

m ar e : he li es in sight of all that he would fain per f or m ,

t t as a man forcibly conned t o his bed by the m or t al

languor o f a relaxing d i sea se who is co m pelled to wi t ne ss
,

inj ury o r outrage o ff ered to so m e obj ect o f his tendere st

lov e h e curses the spells which chain h im dow n fro m
m otion h e would lay down his life if he m ight but ge t up
and walk ; but he is po ive rl e ss as an infan t and canno t ,

even a tt e m pt to ri se .

I now pass to wh a t is t he m ain s ub j ec t o f the se latte r

88 CONFE SSIONS O F AN

confe ssions to th e history and j ourn al o f what took place

,

in m y dreams ; for the se w ere th e imm e diat e and proxi m ate

cause of my acutest su ff ering .

Th e rst notice I had o f any i m portant change going on

in this part o f m y physical economy w a s from th e re ,

awakening o f a state o f ey e generally incident t o childhood ,

o r e x al ted States o f irritability I know not wh e ther my

.

reader is awar e that many children perhaps most have a , ,

power o f painting as it were upon the darkness all sorts

, , ,

o f phantoms ; in so m e that power is simply a mechanic

,

a ff ection o f t h e eye ; oth e rs have a voluntary o r se m i ,

vol untary power to di smiss o r to su m mon the m ; o r a s a ,

child onc e said to me when I que stioned him o n this

matter ,
I can tell them t o go and they go ; but so m e
,

tim e s the y com e when I don t tell them t o com e

,

Wh e re .

upon I told h im that he had almost as unli m ited a com m and

over apparitions as a R o m an centurion over h is soldiers .

In the m iddl e o f 1 8 1 7 I think it was that this faculty

, ,

b e came po sitively di stre ssing to m e : at night when I lay ,

awake in bed vast processions pa ss ed along in mournful

,

po m p ; frieze s o f ne v er ending stories that t o my feelings

-

were as sa d and solemn as if th e y were st ories drawn

fro m tim es before ( E d ipu s o r Priam before Tyre before
Mem phis A n d at the sam e time a corresponding change
.
, ,

took place in my dreams 3 a theatre seem ed suddenl y O pened

a n d lighted up within my brain which presented nightly ,

spectacles o f more than earthly splendour An d the four .

following facts may be mentioned as noticeable at this ,

time :
1 That as th e creativ e state of the e y e incr e a se d a
.
,

sympathy s eemed to arise between the waking and t he

dreaming states o f the brain in one point that what soever
I happened t o call u p a nd to trace by a volu n tary act upon
90 CONFE SSIO N S O F AN

scenes of later years were often re v ived 3 I could not be said

,

to recollect the m 3 for if I h a d b e en t old o f them when

waking I should not have been able to acknowledge them
,

as part s o f my past experience But placed as they were .

before me in dreams like intuition s and clothed in all their

, ,

e vanescent circumstances and accom panying feelings I ,

r e co g n is e d the m in stantaneously I was once told by a

.

n ear relative o f mine that having in her childhood fallen

,

into a river and being on the very verge of death but for
,

t he critical assistan ce which reached her she saw in a moment ,

her whole life in it s minu t e st incidents arraye d before her

, ,

Si m ultaneou sly as in a mirror ; and sh e had a facu l ty

developed as suddenly for co m prehending t he whole and
every part This fro m so m e opium experiences of mine I
.
, ,

can believ e 3 I ha v e indeed seen the same thing a sserted

, ,

t w ice in modern books and accom panied by a re m ark

,

which I am convinced is true viz t hat t he .

,
book o f
w h ig i the S criptg r
H gs
each in d il idua l O f this at least I feel assured
.
, , ,

11 3 such hi n g a s f o rg e tt in g po ssible to the

mind ; a t hou sand accident s may and will in t erpo se a veil
between o u r pre se nt con sciou sne ss and t he secre t in scrip
tion s o n the mind ; accident s o f the sam e sor t will also rend
away t his veil ; but alike whether veiled o r un v eiled the
, ,

in scrip t ion rem ain s for ever 3 j u st as the stars seem to with
d ra w be f ore the com m on light o f day whereas in fact we , , ,

a ll kno w that it is t h e light which is drawn over t he m a s a

veil and that they are waiting to be revealed when the

,

ob s curing daylight shall ha v e wi thdrawn .

Having noticed t he se four facts as m e morably di stin

u ishin g m y drea m s from tho se o f health I shall n o w cite
g ,

a c a s e illustrati v e o f t h e rst fac t ; and shall then cit e a n y

o t hers t h a t I re m ember ei t her in the ir chron ologic a l order
, ,
 ENGLISH OPI UM E A TE R -
.
91

or any o t h er that m a y gi v e t he m m ore e ff ect as picture s t o

the reader .

I had been in youth and even since f o r occasional amu se

, ,

ment a grea t reader of Livy who m I confe ss that I prefer

, , , , ,

bo t h for style and m at t er to any other of t he R o m an his

,

t o ria n s and I had of t e n felt as m o st sole m n and appalling

sound s and m ost em phatically repre senta t ive of t he m aj es ty
,

o f t he R o m an people the two words so often occurring in

,

Livy C o ns u l Ro m a n us e specially when t he con sul is

introduced in h is m i l i t ary character I mean to sa y t hat .

t h e word s kin g sul tan regen t e t c or any other t i tle s of , .

t h o se who e m body in t heir own per sons the collective

m aj e s ty o f a great people had le ss power o v er m y re ve re n
,

tial feelings I had al so t hough no great reader of hi story

.
, ,

m ade m y self minutely and critical l y fa m iliar wi t h one

period of E ngli sh hi st ory viz t he period o f the Parlia .
,

m entary Warha v ing been attracted by the m oral grandeur

o f s ome who gured in that day and by the many intere s t ,

ing m em oirs w hich survive t ho se unquiet t i m e s Bot h .

tho se par t s o f m y lighter reading ha v ing furni shed m e of t en

with m a t ter o f reection now furni shed m e wi t h matter for
,

m y drea m s O ften I u sed to se e af t er pain t i n g upon t h e

.
,

blank d arkne ss a sor t of rehear sal whil st waking a crowd ,

of ladie s and perhap s a fe st ival and dance s A n d I heard

, , .

i t said o r I said to m y self th e s e are E ngli sh ladie s f ro m

, ,

t h e un happy t i m es o f C harle s I The se are t he wive s and

.

the da u ghter s of t ho se who m e t in peace and sate at t h e ,

sa m e table s and were allied by marriage or by blood 3 and

,

ye t af t er a certain d a y in A ugu st 1 64 2 ne v er sm i l ed u pon

, ,

each other again nor m e t but in t he eld of b a tt le 3 and a t

,

Marst on Moor at N e wb u ry o r at N a seby cut a sunder all

, , ,

tie s of lo v e by t he cruel sabre and wa shed away in blood ,

the m em ory o f ancient friend ship T h e ladie s d anced and .
,
92 CONFE SSIONS OF AN

look e d as lov ely as the court of George I V Yet I knew .

,

eve n in my dream that they had been in the grave for

,

n early two centuries This pagean t would suddenly dis

.

solve ; and at a clapping o f hands would be heard t he

, ,

heart quaking sound of C o nsu l Ro m a n us and im m ediately

-

came sweeping by in gorgeous paludament s Paulu s or
, ,

Marius girt round by a company o f centurions with the

, ,

cri m son t unic hoisted o n a spear and followed by the ,

a l a l a g m o s o f the R o m an legion s .

Many years ago when I was looking over Pira n e si s

,

A n t iquities o f R ome Mr C oleridge who was st anding , .

,

by described to me a se t o f pla t e s by that arti st

, ,

called his Drea m s and which record t he s cenery o f h is

,

o w n vi sions during the deliriu m of a fever S o m e o f the m .

o f Mr C oleridge s account)
(

I describe only from me m ory .

represented vast Go t hic hall s on the oor o f which stood

all sorts o f engines and machinery wheels cables pulley s , , , ,

levers catapults etc etc expre ssive of e normou s power

, , .
, .
,

put forth and re sistance overco m e

, C reeping along .

the sides o f th e wall s you perceived a staircase ; and upon

,

i t groping h is way up wards was Pirane si him self : follow

, ,

the stairs a little further and you percei v e it com e to a ,

sudden and abrupt term ination without any balustrade and , ,

allowi n g no step onwards t o h im who h a d reached t he

extremi ty e xcept into the depth s below W hatever is t o
,
.

become o f poor Piranesi yo u suppo se at lea st that h is , , ,

labours must in some way terminate here But raise your .

eye s and behold a second ight o f stairs still higher : o n

,

which again Pirane si is perceived but thi s ti m e s t anding ,

o n the very brink of the aby ss Again eleva t e your eye .

,

and a still more a erial ight of s tairs is b eheld : and again

is poor Piranesi bu sy o n his a spiring labours : and so o n ,

until the u n ni shed stair s a nd Pir a ne si both are lo st in t he

94 C ONFE SSIONS O F AN

S hadwell : and in ancien t day s Ho m er is I think rightly

, , ,

reputed to have known the v irtues o f opium .

T o my architecture succeeded dream s o f lakes and - m

s ilvery expan ses o f water the s e haunted me s o much ,

that I feared (t hough po ssib l y it will appear ludicrous to a

m edical m a n ) t hat so m e d rop sical s t a t e o r tendency o f
t he brain might thu s be making i t sel f (to u se a me t a
phy sical word ) o bject ive ; and the s en t ient organ pr oject
itself as it s o wn obj ect For two m onths I su ff ered grea t ly
.

in my heada part o f my bodily struc t ure which had

hi t her t o been so clear from all touch o r ta int o f weakne ss
(phy sically I m ean
, ) t hat I used,
to sa
y o f i t a s the l a st ,

Lord O rford said o f h is stomach that it s eemed likely to ,

survive the rest of my per s on Till now I had never felt a

.

hea d ache even o r any the slightest pain except rheu m atic
, ,

pains cau sed by my o wn folly However I got o v er this .

,

attack though it mu st have been verging on so m ething very

,

dangerou s .

The waters now changed their character f ro m t ra n s , _

W k e s shining like m irrors t

,
W
and ocean s A n d now came a trem endou s change which
.
W e s ea s,

, ,

un f o l d in g i t se lf s lowly like a scroll t hrough m any m onth s , ,

prom ised an abiding torment 3 and in f ac t it ne v er lef t me , ,

until t he winding up o f my case Hither t o t he hu m an face .

had mixed o f t en in my drea m s bu t not despotically nor , ,

wi t h any special power o f tor m en t ing But n o w tha t .

which I have called the tyranny o f t he hu m an face began

to unfold i t sel f Perhap s som e par t o f m y London life
.

might be answerable for t his Be that as it m a y n o w it

.
,

was t hat upon the rocking waters o f the ocean the hu m an

face began to appear : the sea appeared paved with
innu m erable faces upturned to the heav e n s 3 faces i m pl o r
,

ing wrathful de spairing s urged upward s by thousa nd s by

, , , ,
 ENGLIS H OPI UM E A TE R
-
.
95

m yriad s, by genera t ions by centuries zm y agitation

, wa s
in n ite , m y mind tos sedand surged with the ocean .

Ma y ,
1 8 18 .

The Malay has been a fearful enem y for months I have .

b een every night through h is mea ns tran sported into

, ,

Asiatic scene s I know not whether others share in m y

.

feeling s o n thi s point 3 but I have often thought that if I

were com pelled to forego E ngland and to live in C h ina and , ,

a m ong C h inese manners and m ode s o f life and scenery I ,

should go m a d The cause s o f my horror lie deep ; a n d

.

s ome o f t he m mu st be co m m on to o t hers WS outhern A sia .

,

I n general i s the s eat o f awful i m e s a n d as s oc i at i ons

ag
M
.
, u

A s the cra dl e H h e uma n T a c

o u l d alone have a dim

and reverential feeling con nec t ed wi t h it But t here are .

other rea sons N 0 man can pre tend that t he wild barb ar
.
,

o us,
and capricious superstition s o f Africa or of savage ,

tribes el sewh e re aff ect him in the way that he is a ff ected

,

by the ancient monumental cruel and elaborate religio ns

, , ,

o f Indo stan e t c The m ere an tiquity o f A sia t ic things

,
.
,

of their in st i t ution s hi st orie s mode s o f fai th etc is so

, , , .
,

im pre ssive tha t t o me the va st age o f the race and n ame

,

o v erpower s t he sens e o f you th in the individual A youn g .

C hine s e see m s to m e an antediluvian man renewed E v en .

E ngli sh m en t hough no t bred in any kno wledge of such

,

in st itu t ion s canno t but shudder at t he m y st ic subli m ity of

,

ca st es that have o wed apart and re f u sed to mix throu g h , ,

s uch imme m orial t ract s o f ti m e 3 nor can any m a n fail t o be

awed by the na m e s o f the Gange s o r t he E uphrates I t ,

.

contribute s m uch t o t he se feeling s that S outhern As ia is , ,

and h a s b een for t hou sand s o f years t he part o f the eart h ,

m o s t S WW W the great o cin a g en t i u m .

Ma n is a weed in tho s e regions The va st e m pires also in .

,
96 CONFE SSIONS OF AN

which the enormous population o f Asia has al way s been

ca st give a further sublimi ty to t he feelings a ssociated with
,

all oriental na m e s o r i m ages In C hina over and abo v e .

,

what it h a s in com m on with t he rest o f S outhern Asia I ,

a m terried by the m odes of life by the manners and the , ,

barrier o f utter abhorrence and wan t of sympathy placed , ,

be t ween u s by feelings deep e r than I can analy se I could .

s ooner live with luna t ics o r b rute animals A ll t hi s and

, .
,

m uch more than I can sa y or hav e time to sa y t he reader , ,

must enter into before he can co m preh e nd t he unimaginable

horror which the se dream s o f orientalB agg b a myt h o
nd -"
logical t orture s impre ssed iipo n m e U nder the connecting
g

, .

feeling o f tropical heat and vertical su n lights I brought -

together a l l creature s bird s beas t s reptile s all trees and

, , , ,

plants u sages and app e arance s that are found in all tropical
, ,

regions and a ssembled t hem together in Chinab r Indo stan

,
.

Fro m kindred f e e l in gs, I soon brought E gyp t and all her

gods under the sa m e l a w I was stared at hoo t ed at .

, ,

grinned at chattered at by monkey s by parroquets by

, , , ,

cockatoo s I ran into pagoda s : and was xed for cen

.
,

t u rie s a t the sum m it or in secret roo m s 3 I w a s the idol 3

, ,

I w a s the prie st ; I wa s worshipped 3 I was sacri ced I .

ed from the wrath of Bra m a through all the fores t s o f

A sia : V i sh n u hated m e : S c e v a laid wait for me I came .

s uddenly upon I si s and O siri s : I had done a deed they ,

s aid which the ibis and th e crocodile trembled at

,
I was .

buried for a thousand years in stone co i n s wi t h mu m m ies

, , ,

d sphynxes in narrow cham bers at t he heart o f eternal

,

pyramids I was kissed with cancerou s ki sses by croco

.
, ,

dile s 3 and laid confounded with all unutt e rable sli m y

,

things amongst reeds and N ilotic mud

,
.

I thus giv e the reader some slight abstraction of m y

o rien t al drea m s which alway s lled me with s uch a m aze m en t
,
98 C ON FESSIONS O F AN

Ju n e, 1 8 1 9 .

I hav e had occasion to re m ark at variou s period s of m y,

life t ha t t he dea t h s of tho se who m we love and in d eed t he

, ,

co n t e m l a t ion o f dea t h generally is

'
'

( r is p a riE ) ore
'

c t e II S m
p oe ,

a e c t in g in s u m m er than in any o t her s ea son o f t he year

'

A n d the rea sons are t he se three I think : rs t that t he , ,

v i sible heaven s in sum mer appear far higher m or e dis t ant , ,

and (if such a soleci sm m a y be excu s ed ) more inni t e 3 t he

cloud s by which chiey the eye expounds the dist ance o f
,

the blue pavilion stretched over our head s are in su m m er ,

more volu m inou s m a ssed and accumulated in far grander

, ,

and more towering pile s : secondly the ligh t and t he ,

appearance s o f t he decl ining and t he se t ting su n are m uch

m ore tted to be type s and charac t ers o f t he I nni t e and
t hirdly (which is t he m ain rea son ) t he exuberant and ,

riotou s prodigali t y o f life naturally force s t he m ind m ore

powerfully upon t he an t agoni st t hough t o f dea t h and the ,

win t ry sterility o f the grave For i t may be ob served .

,

generally that wherever two though t s st and rela ted t o

,

each o t her by a law o f antagoni sm and exi st a s it were , , ,

by mu t ual repul sion t hey are apt to sugge st to each other

, .

O n the se account s it is t hat I nd i t impo ssible t o bani sh

t he thought o f dea t h when I am walk ing alone in t he
endles s day s o f sum m er ; and any particular dea t h if not ,
'

m ore a e ct in g at least haunts my m ind more obstina t ely

,

and be siegingly in that season Perhaps thi s cau se and a .

,

slight inciden t which I omit might have been the im m edia t e

,

occa sion s o f the following dream ; t o which howe v er a

, ,

predi spo sition mu st always have exi st ed in m y m ind ; bu t

having been once roused i t ne v er left m e and split in t o
, ,

a t hou sand fanta stic v a rie t ie s which o f t en suddenly ,

reunited and co m po sed again th e original drea m

,
.

I thought that it w s a S unday morning in Ma y that ,

 ENGLIS H OPI UM E A 7 E R-
'

.
99

it was E ast e r S unday and as yet was very early in the

,

m orning I w a s standing as it see m ed to m e at t he

.
, ,

door o f my own cottage Right before me lay the very

.

s cene which could really h e co m manded fro m that situation ,

but exal t ed as wa s u sual and solem ni sed by t he power o f

, ,

drea m s T h ere were the same mountain s and t he sa m e

.
,

lovely valley at t heir feet 3 but the moun t ains were raised
t o m ore t han A lpine height and t here w a s inter space far ,

larger between t hem o f m eadows and fore st lawn s ; the

hedges were rich wi t h white ro se s 3 and no living creature
was t o be seen excepting t hat in t he green churchyard
,

there wer e ca tt le tranquilly repo sing upon t he verdant

graves and part icularly round a b out the gra v e o f a child
,

who m I had tenderly loved j u st as I had really beheld them

, ,

a lit t le before s unrise in t he sa m e s u m m er when that child ,

died I gazed u pon t he well known scene and I said aloud

.
-

( a s I thought ) to m y s el f It y e t want s m uch of sunri s e
, 3 and
i t is E a ste r S unday 3 and that is the day o n which t hey cele
brate the rst frui t s o f re surrection I will walk abroad ; o l d .

griefs shall be forgotten t o day 3 for the air is cool and still ,

and the hill s are high and stre t ch away to Hea v en 3 and the
,

fore st glades are a s quiet as the churchyard 3 and with ,

t he dew I can was h the fever from m y forehead and t hen

, ,

I sh a ll be unhappy no longer A n d I turne d a s if t o

w
.
,

m ?
open I n ga and i m m ediately I s a w upon t he le f t
;
i e re n t 3 but which yet t he power o f drea m s

had reconciled in t o har m ony with the o t her The scene .

wa s an o rie n t ia l one 3 and there a l so it w a s E a ster S unday ,

and very early in the m orning A n d a t a va st di s t ance .

were vi sib le a s a stain upon the horizon t he dom e s and ,

cupolas o f a great city a n i m age o r fain t ab strac t ion

,

caught perh aps in childhood fro m some pic t ure of

Jeru sale m A n d not a bow shot fro m m e upon a stone
.
-
, ,
I oo CONFE SSIONS O F AN

a nd shad e d by Ju d e a n palms there sat a wom an 3 and I ,

looked ; and it w a sA n n ! S he xed her eye s upon m e

earne st ly ; and I said to her at length : S o then I ha v e

found you a t la st I w a ited : but sh e an swered m e not a
.

word Her face w a s the sa m e as when I sa w it la st and

.
,

yet again h o w di ff er e nt ! S even t een years ago when the ,

lamp light fell upon her f a w as for the last ti m e I kissed

-

her lip s (lips A nn t hat to m e were not polluted ) her eyes

, , ,

were streami n g with tears : the tear s were now wiped

away ; sh e see m ed m ore b eautiful t han sh e w a s at t ha t
t i m e but in all other points the sa m e and not older Her
, ,
.

looks were tranquil but with unu sual sole m nity o f expre s
,

sion 3 and I now gazed upon her with so m e awe but ,

suddenly her countenance gre w dim and turning to t h e , ,

mountain s I perceived vapours rolling between u s 3 in

,

a moment all had vani shed 3 thick darkne ss ca m e on 3 and

,

in the twinkling o f an eye I w a s far away fro m mountain s , ,

and by la m p light in O xford S treet walking again wi t h

-

An n j u st a s we w alked s e venteen years before when w e ,

were both childre n .

A s a nal specim e n I cit e On e of a diff er e nt charact e r

, ,

from 1 8 2 0 .

The dr e am com menc e d with a music w hi ch now I of t en

heard in dream sa music o f preparation and o f awakening
s u s pense 3 a mu sic like the opening o f t he C oronation
An them and which like tha t gave the feeling of a va st
, , ,

marcho f innite cavalcade s ling o Land the tread o f

innumerable ar m ie s The morning was com e o f a mighty
.

daya day o f cri sis and o f nal hope for hu m an na t ure ,

then su ff ering some my steriou s eclip se and labouring in ,

s ome dread ex t re m ity S o m ewhere I knew not where

som ehow I knew not howb y some beings I kne w n o t
.
,

, ,

whom a ba t tle a strife an agony w a s condu c ti n g w a s

, , ,
 10 2 CONFESSI ONS O F I iN

this conict o f o n ht to a crisi s .

The r eader is already awar e (from a pas sage new

beginning o f t he introduction to t he rst par t) t hat t he

opium eater has in some way o r o t her
-
,
unwound almost ,

to it s nal lin k s the accurs ed chain which bound h im
?
.
,

By what m eans To have narrated this according to t he ,

original in t en t ion would have far exceeded the space which

,

can now be allowed I t is fortunate a s such a cogent

.
,

reason exi s t s for abridging it that I should o n a m a t urer , ,

view o f t he case have been e xceedingly unwilling t o inj ure

, ,

by any such u n a e c t in g details t he impre ssion of the hi story,

itself a s an appeal to the prudence and the conscience o f

,

the yet unconrm ed opium eatero r e v en (t hough a very -

inferior con sideration ) to inj ure its e ff ect as a co m position .

The intere st o f the j udicious reader wil l not attach i t self

chiey to t he subj ect o f the fa scinating spells but to t he ,

fa scinating power N o t the O pium eater b ut jh e opig m is

.
-

, _ ,

the true hero o f the tale and the legitimate centre o n whi ch
the M
,

am ma l obj ect w a s to display the mar

v e ll o u s agency o f opium whe t her for pleasure o r for pain :
,

if that is done the action of th e piece has closed

, .

However a s some people in spite of all laws to the

, ,

c ontrary will per si st in a sking what beca m e o f the O pium

,

ea t er and in what st ate he n o w is I answer for h im t hu s

, ,

The reader is aware that opium had long cea sed to found
it s empire o n spell s o f plea s ure 3 it W a s so l ey t he m $

'

ure t tha t i t k ept

ture s connected wi t h t he at t e m pt t o a bj ,

its hold Ye t as other tor t ure s no le ss it may b e t hough t

.
, , ,

attended the n o n abj uration o f such a tyrant a choice only

-
,

of evils was lef t 3 and tha t might as well have been adop t ed ,

which however terric in it self held o uja PrO Spe ct of nal

, ,

,
re sia m t io n t o happine ss

This appears true ; but.

l ogic gav e the author no s

 ENGLIS H OPI UM E A TE R -
. 1 o3

a cri si s arri v ed f o r the author s li f e and a cri sis f o r ,

other obj ec t s still dearer to h im a n d which will always be ,

far d earer t o h im t han h is life even n o w that it is again a ,

happy one I sa w tha t I mu st die if I continued the

.

opiu m I determined t herefore if that should be required

, , ,

t o die in t hrowing it o How much I w a s at t ha t ti m e

t aking I canno t sa y 3 for t he opiu m which I u sed had b een

purcha sed for m e by a friend who a f terward s refused to let
m e pay him ; so t ha t I could n o t a scertain even wha t

quan tity I had u sed wi t hin the year I apprehend h o w .

,

ever that I t ook it very irregularly ; and that I varied

,

from abou t fty o r sixty grain s to 1 50 a day My r st ta sk -

.

wa s t o reduce it to forty to t hir t y and a s fa st as I could

, ,

t o twel v e gra m s .

W ri dm ph e d : but t hink not reader that there f ore m y , ,

sn e rin s were ended ; nor t hink o f me a s of one s i tt ing in

g
a d eject e d st ate Think o f m e a s of o n e even when four
.
,

m on t h s had pa ssed still agit ated wri t hing t hrob b ing pal
, , , ,

p it a t in
g,
s ha t tered 3 and m uch perhap s in t he s ituation,o f ,

h im who h a s been racked a s I collec t t he tor m ent s o f tha t

,

st ate fro m the a ff ecting account of t he m lef t by a m os t

innocent su ff erer (o f t he ti m e s o f Ja m e s
*
Meanti m e I ,

derived no bene t fro m any m edicine excep t o n e pre scribed ,

t o m e by an E dinburgh surgeon of grea t e m inence v iz .

,

a m m onia t ed t in ct u accoun t there ,

f ore o f my e m a n c
,
h to gi v e : and
even that lit t le a s m anaged by a m a n so ignorant o f m edi
,

cine as mysel f w ould probably t end only t o m i slead A t

, .

all e v en t s it would be mi splaced in thi s situa t ion The

,
.

moral of the narra t ive is addre ssed to the opiu m ea t er 3 and -

Willi am L it hg w o : h is b o o k (Tr v l
a e s, e t c .
) is ill and pd
e a n t cally
i
writte n a c co un t o f
b ut t h e h is o wn su e rings o n
'

t he ra c k t
a Ml g a a a

is o verp o weri ngl y a ff e ct in g .

 I O4 CONFESSI O N S O F AN O PI UM E A TE R -
.

t herefore of nece ssi t y li m i t ed in its applicatio n If he is

, , .

t augh t t o f ear and t re m b le enough h a s been e ff ected But

, .

h e m a y sa y t ha t t he i ssue o f m y ca se is a t lea st a proof t ha t

,

til l be renounced : and t h at h e

m ay s

m ay t o t he ta sk grea t er energy t han I did ,

or tha t wi t h a s t ronger cons t i t u t ion than mine he m a y

ob t ain the sa m e re sul t s wi t h le ss This m a y be true : I .

would not pre su m e t o mea sure the e ff or t s of o t her men by

my own : I heartily wi sh him m ore energy : I wi sh h im
t he sam e succe ss N everthele ss I had m oti v es external to
.
,

my self which he may unfor t unately want : and t he se su p

plied me wi t h con scien t ious s upport s which m ere personal
in t ere st s might fail to supply t o a m ind debilita t ed by
O pium .

Jere m y Taylor conj ectures that it may be a s painful to

be born as t o die : I t hink it probable : and during t he ,

whole period of dimini shing the opium I had the tor m ents ,

of a man pas sing out o f o n e m ode o f exi stence Minto ano ther
m
m
.

The i ssu e w ag nt d a t hj rt bf

p
and I m a y add t hat ever since a t in t erval s I have a a
, , ,

restoration o f more than you t hf ul spiri t s though under t he ,

pre ssure of di fculties which in a less happy st ate o f m ind

, , ,

I should ha v e called misfortunes .

O n e me m orial of my for m er condition still remain s my

drea m s are no t yet perfec t ly cal m : the dread swell and
agitation of the storm have not wholly sub sided the legions
that enca m ped in t he m are drawing o ff but not all depar t ed : ,

m y sleep is s till tu m ul t uou s and like t he gates o f Paradi se

, ,

t o our r st parent s when looking back fro m afar it is s t ill ,

u s line o f Mil t on
( in t he t re m endo )
d f ul f a ce s t h ro ng d

a nd ery
10 6 L E VA NA AND O UR L A DIES O F S O RR O VV .

that mysterious lady who never revealed her face (except ,

to me in dr e am s) but always acted by delegation h a d her

, ,

name from the Latin verb (as still it is t he Italian verb )

leva re to rai se aloft
, .

This is the explanation o f Levana and henc e it has ari sen ,

tha t so m e people have under st ood by Le v ana the tu t elary

pow e r that controls the education o f the nur sery S he .
,

that would not s u ff er a t h is birth even a pre gu ra t ive or

mimic degradation for her awful ward far le ss could be ,

suppos e d to su ff er the real degradation at t aching to the

non development o f h is powers S he therefore watches over
-
.

human education N o w the word ed ztco wi t h the pe n ul t i

.

ma t e short wa s derived (by a proce ss often exem plied in

,

the cry stalli sation o f lan guages ) fro m the word ed uco wi t h ,

the penultimate long W hatever e d u c es or developes .

, ,

ed u ca t es By the educa t ion o f Levana therefore is

.
, ,

m eant not t he poor m achinery that m oves by spelling

,

books and gram mar s but by t ha t m igh ty sy stem o f cen tral ,

forces hidden in the deep bosom of hu m an life which by ,

pa ssion by strife by temptation by the energies o f

, , ,

re si st ance works f o r ever upon children re st ing not

, ,

nigh t o r day any more t han the mighty wheel o f day

,

and n ight the m selve s who se m oments like r e s t less spokes , , ,

are glim m ering f o r e v er as they revolve .

I f then t h ese are the m ini stries by which Levana work s

, , ,

h o w profoundly mu s t sh e reverence t he agencies o f grie f .

But you reader ! think that children are no t liable t o

, ,

s uch grief a s mine There are t wo sen se s in the word

.

e n e ra l ly t he s en s e o f E uclid where it m ean s u n iversa lly

g , ,

(or in t he whole exten t o f the g e n u s

) and in a fooli s h s e n se ,

o f this word where i t m ean s u s u a lly ,

N ow I a m far from .
,

s aying that ch ildren uni versally ar e capable o f grief like

mine Bu t there are more than you ever heard of who die
.
 L E VA NA A N D O UR L A DIES OF SORR O W . 10 7

of grief in this island o f ours I will tell you a com m on .

cas e The rules o f E ton require that a boy o n th e f o u n d

.

a tio n should be there twelve years he is superannuated a t

eighteen con sequen t ly he mu st come at six C hildren torn
, .

away from m o t hers and si sters at that age n o t unfrequen tl y

die I speak o f what I know The complaint is not entered
. .

by the regi strar as grief ; but tha t it is Grief of that sor t .

,

and at that age has killed mor e than hav e e ver been counted
,

amongst its mar tyrs .

Therefore it is t hat Levana often communes with the

powers that shake a man s heart : therefore it is that sh e
dot e s o n grief
The se ladie s said I sof tly to myself o n se e
.
, ,

ing the mini st ers wi t h who m Le v ana was conversing the se ,

are t he S orrows 3 and they are t hree in number a s t he Gra ces ,

are thr e e who dre ss m an s life with beau ty : the Pa rcae are
,

three who weave the dark arras o f m an s life in t heir
,

m y steriou s loo m always wi t h colours sa d in part s o m eti m e s

, ,

angry wi t h tragic cri m son and black 3 the Fu ries are t hree ,

who vi sit wi t h retribu t ion called from the other side o f t he

grave off ences that walk upon thi s 3 and once even the
Mus es were but three who t the harp the trumpe t or the
, , ,

lute to the grea t burdens of man s i m pa ssioned creation s
,

The se are the S orrow s all three o f whom I know,
The .

last w o rd s I sa y n o w ; but in O xford I said O n e of whom ,

I know and t he others t o o surely I sha ll know
,
For .

already in my ferven t you t h I sa w (di m ly relieved upon

, ,

t he dark background o f m y drea m s) t he i m perfect lin ea

m en t s o f the awful si s t er s The se si st ers
b y what na m e
?
.

shall we call the m If I sa y sim ply The S orrow s t here

, ,

will be a chance of m i st aking t he term 3 it m ight be under

stood o f indi v idual sorrow separa t e ca se s o f s orro w ,
-
,

wherea s I want a term expre ssing t h e migh ty ab strac t ions

tha t incarnate them selve s in all individual su e rings o f
'
10 8 /
L E I AN A AN D O UR L A DIES 0 F S O RR O VV .

man s heart 3 and I wi sh t o ha v e the se ab stractions pre
s en t ed as imper s onation s t ha t is a s clothed wi t h hu m an
, ,

attribute s o f life and wi t h function s pointing to e sh Le t

, .

us call t hem therefore O u r L a d ies of S o rr o w I kno w

, , .

them thoroughly and have walked in all t heir kingdo m s

, .

Three si sters they are o f o n e my sterious hou sehold 3 and

,

their pa t hs are wide apart 3 but o f t heir do m inion there is

no end The m I sa w oft en conver sing wi t h Levana a n d
?
.
,

so m eti m es about myself Do they talk then . 0 no ! , ,

mighty phantoms like these di sdain the in rm it ie s o f

language They may utter voices through the organs of
.

man when they dwell in human heart s but amongst them ,

selves there is n o voice nor s ound eternal s ilence reign s in

3
t h eir kingdoms Th ey spoke not as they talked wi t h Le vana ;
.
,

t h ey whi spered not 3 t he y sang not 3 though of t en t i m es me

thought t hey m ig ht have sung for I upon earth had heard ,

t heir my steries oftentimes deciphered by harp and ti m brel ,

by dulcimer and organ Like God who se servants they .

,

are they ut t er their plea sure not by sound s tha t perish o r

, , ,

by words tha t go as t ray but by signs in heaven by changes

, ,

on earth by pul ses in secret river s heraldrie s pain t ed o n

, ,

darkness and hieroglyphics writ t en o n the t ablets o f t he

,

brain Th ey whe eled in m azes 3 I spelled the steps They

. .

telegraphed from afar 3 I read the signals They con spired .

toge t her ; and on the mirrors o f darkne ss m y eye traced th e

plo t s Theirs were the symbols 3 m in e are the word s
? ?
. .

Wha t is it t he si st er s are What is it that t hey do

Let m e de scribe their for m and t heir pre sence : if form it ,

were that still uc t uated in i t s outline o r presence it were ,

tha t for ever advanced to the front o r for e ver receded ,

amongst shades .

The eldest o f the three is nam ed Ma t er L a chrym a ru m ,

O u r Lady of Tears S he it is that night and day raves and

.
I I O L E VA NA A N D O UR L A DIE S OF S ORR O W

Lady of Te ars glides a ghostly intruder into the cha m bers o f

sleepless men sleeple ss wo m en sleeple ss children from
, , ,

Ganges to N ile from Nil e to Mis si ssippi

,
An d her .
,

becau se sh e is the rst born o f her hou se and h a s -

,

the wide st e m pire l e t us honour with the title o f

,

Madonna
The second sister is called Ma t er S u spirio ru m O u r Lady
o f S ighs S he never scales the clouds nor walk s abroad
.
,

u pon t he winds S h e wears no diadem An d her eye s if

. .
,

they were ever seen w ould be neither s weet nor sub tle 3 no
,

man could read t heir story ; they would be found lled with
peri shing dream s and with wreck s o f forgotten deliriu m
,
.

Bu t sh e raises not her eyes ; her head o n which sits a ,

d ilapidated turban droop s for ever for ever fa stens on the

, ,

dus t . S he weeps not S he groans not .But sh e sigh s .

inaudibly at interval s Her si st er Madonna is of t enti m e s

.
, ,

stormy and frantic raging in the highe st again st hea v en

, ,

and de m anding back her darli n gs Bu t O u r Lady o f S ighs .

never clamours never dees drea m s n o t of rebellious

, ,

a spiration s S he is humble to abj ectness

. Hers is t he .

meekne ss that belongs to the hopele ss Mur m ur sh e m a y .

,

b ut it is in her sleep Whi sper sh e m a y but it is to her self

.
,

in the twilight Mutter sh e does at times but it is in

.
,

solitary place s that are de sol ate as sh e is de solate in ruined ,

ci t ie s and when t he su n has gone down to his re st This

, .

s i ster is t he vi s i t or o f t he Pariah o f t he Jew of the bonds , ,

m a n t o the o a r in the Medi t erranean galley s ; and o f t he

E ngli sh cri m inal in N orfolk Island blotted o u t from the ,

books o f re m e m brance in sweet far o E ngland ; o f the

'
-

ba fed penitent reverting h is eye s for ever upon a solitary

grave which to h im seem s the al t ar over thrown o f som e
,

pa st and bloody sacrice o n which al t ar no o b lations can

,

now b e availing whether toward s pardon that he might

,
 LE VANA A N D O UR L A DIE S /
O F S O RR O l V . I I I

implore o r towards reparation that he might atte m pt

, .

Ev ery slave that at noonday looks u p to the t ropical su n

wi t h timid reproach as he poin t s wi t h one hand to t he
,

ear t h our general mo t her but for him a st ep m o t her as

, , ,

he point s with the other hand to the Bible o u r general ,

t eacher but again st him sealed and sequestered 3 every

,

wom an sitti n g in d arknes s without love to shelter her head

, ,

o r hope to illu m ine her solitude becau se the heaven born

,
-

in stincts kindling in her natu re ger m s of holy a ff ec tion s

which God i m plan t ed in her wo m anly bo som having been ,

stied by social neces sities now burn sullenly t o wa s t e

, ,

like sepulchral la m ps amongst the ancien t s 3 every nun

defrauded o f her unreturning Ma y t i m e by wicked kin sm an -

who m Go d will j u d ge 3 every capti v e in e v ery dungeon ; all

that are betrayed and all that ar e rejec t ed outcasts by
traditionary law and children of hered i ta ry di sgrace all
, ,

these walk wi t h O ur Lady o f S ighs S he al so carrie s a key 3 .

but sh e needs it li ttle Fo r her kingdo m is chiey a m ongs t

.

the tent s o f S he m and the hou sele ss v agran t o f every cli m e

, .

Yet in the very highe s t walk s o f m a n sh e nd s chapel s o f

her o wn 3 and even in gloriou s E ngland there are some t hat ,

t o t he world carry their head s as proudly a s the reindeer

, ,

who yet secre tly have received her m ark upon their

/
f orehead s .

Bu t the third si ster who is also the younge st

,

Hu sh whi sper whil s t we talk of her

,
Her kingdom is no t
large o r el se no esh should live ; b ut within that kingdo m
,

all power is hers Her head turreted lik e that o f C ybele

.
, ,

ri ses al m ost beyond the reach o f sight S he droop s not ; .

and her eyes ri sm g so high m ight be hid d en by di s t ance 3

bu t b eing what t hey are they cannot be hidden ; through
, ,

the t reble veil o f crape which sh e wears t he erce light of ,

a blazi n g mi sery t hat re sts no t for ma t in s o r f o r ve spers

, ,
1 12 LE VA NA AN D O UR L A DIE S O F S O RR O I V /
.

for noon o f day o r n oon o f night f o r ebbing o r for owing ,

tide m a y b e read from the very ground S he is the d e e r

, .

of Go d S he is al so the m o t her o f lunacies and t h e

.
,

sugge st re ss o f suicide s Deep lie the roots o f her power ;

.

bu t narrow is the na t ion that sh e rule s For sh e can .

approach only tho se in whom a profound nature h a s been

uphea v ed by central con v ulsion s 3 in who m the hear t
tre m bles and the brain rock s under con spiracie s o f tempe st
,

from without and t empe st fro m within Madonna moves .

wi t h uncer t ai n st ep s fa st or slo w but still with t ragic

, ,

grace O u r Lady o f S ighs creeps ti m idly and stealthily

. .

But thi s younge st si ster m o v e s with incalculable motion s ,

boundin g and wi t h tiger s leaps S he carries no key 3 f o r
, .
,

though coming rarely amongst m e n sh e storm s all d oors at ,

which sh e is permi t ted to enter at all An d h er name is

Ma ter T e n ebra ru m O ur Lady of Darkne ss
.

The se were t he S e m n a i Th ea i o r S ubli m e Goddesses , ,

the se were t he E u m en id es or Gracious Ladie s (so called by

,

an tiqui t y in shuddering propitia t ion ) of m y O xford d rea m s ,

.

Mado n na S poke S he spoke by her mysterious hand

. .

Touching my head sh e said to O ur Lady o f S igh s ; and

,

wha t sh e S poke tran slated out of t he sig n s which (except

,

in dream s) no man read s w a s t his ,

Lo ! here is he whom in childhood I dedicated to my
,

altar s Thi s is he t hat once I made my darling Him I

. .

led a stray him I beguiled and fro m heaven I s t o l e away

, ,
'

his young hear t to mine Through me did he b e co m e .

idolatrou s 3 and t hrough m e it w a s by languishing de sire s , ,

that he worshipped t he worm and prayed to t he wor m y ,

grave Holy w a s t he grave t o him ; lo v ely w a s it s dark

.

n e ss ; s ain tly it s corruption H im t hi s young idolator I .

, ,

have sea soned for thee dear gentle S i s t er of S igh s ! Do

,

th ou t ake h im n o w t o thy heart and se a son him for ,

 U N W I N DI N G T HE A C C U RS E D
C HA I N .

H O SE wh o have read the C onfes sions will have

clo sed t h e m with the i m pre ssion that I had
wholly renounced the u se o f O piu m This im .

pre ssion I m ean t t o convey and that for two

,

rea son s : rst becau se the very act of deliberately recording

,

such a state o f s u ff ering nece ss arily pre s u m e s in t he recorder

a power of surveying h is own ca se a s a cool specta t or and ,

a degree o f spiri t s for adequa t ely d e scribing i t which it

,

would be incon si s t ent t o suppo s e in any per son speaking

f ro m the st a t ion o f an ac tual su ff erer ; secondly because I
, ,

who had descended fro m so large a quantity a s 8 0 0 0 drop s

t o so sm all a o n e (co m para t i v ely speaking) a s a quantity
ra n ging be tween 30 0 and 1 60 drop s migh t well suppo s e
,

t hat t he victory w a s in e ff ect achieved In su ff ering m y

.

readers t herefore t o t hink o f m e a s a re f or m ed O piu m

, ,

ea t er I left no i m pre ssion bu t what I shared m y sel f 3 a n d

, ,

as m a be s een even thi s i m pre ssion w a s left t o be collec t ed

y ,

fro m t he general tone o f the conclu sion and not from any
,

s pecic words - "

which are in no in s t ance a t v ariance wi t h
 UN WINDING TH E A CCURSED CHA IN . 1 1 5

t he li t eral t ru t h
. In no long tim e af t er t ha t paper w a s
wri tt en I became sen si b le t hat the e ff ort which rem ained
,

would co st m e f a r m ore energy t han I h a d anticipated 3 and

t he nece ssi t y for m aking it w a s m ore apparen t every m on t h .

In particular I becam e aware o f an increasin g callou sness

o r defect o f sen si b ility in the stomach 3 and thi s I i m agined

m igh t i m ply a sch irro us sta t e o f t hat organ either for m ed

o r forming . An e m inen t phy sician t o whose kindne ss I
,

w a s at t hat t i m e deeply indebted infor m ed m e that such a

,

t er m ination o f m y case wa s not i m po ssible t hough likely to ,

be fore st alled by a di ff eren t t er m ina t ion in the event o f m y

,

con t inu ing t he u se o f opiu m O piu m t herefore I resolved

.
, ,

wholly t o abj ure as soon a s I should nd m y self a t liber ty

,

t o bend my undi v ided atten t ion and energy to this purpo se .

I t w a s n o t however un t il the 2 4 t h of June las t t ha t any

, ,

tolerable concurrence o f facili t ies for such a n a tt em p t

arrived O n that day I began m y experim ent ha v ing
.
,

previou sly settled in m y o wn m ind t hat I would not inch ,

but would st and up to the scratch under any possible

puni sh m ent . I m ust prem i s e tha t about 1 7 0 o r 1 8 0

drop s had been my ordinary allowance for m any m on th s 3
occa sionally I had run up a s high a s 50 0 and once nearly ,

to 7 0 0 3 in repea t ed prelude s t o m y nal experi m ent I had

al so gone as low a s 1 0 0 drop s 3 but had found it i m po ssible
t o stand i t beyond t he fourth day which by t he way I , ,

have alway s f ound m ore di fcult to ge t over than any of

the preceding three I went o ff under ea sy sail 1 30 drop s
.

a d a y f o r t hree d ay s 3 o n t he four t h I plunged at once t o

80. The mi sery which I now su ff ered took the conceit
o u t of m e at once and for about a m onth I con tinued o ff
and on about this m ark ; t hen I sunk to 6 0 and t he next ,

day to none a t all This was the rst day for nearly
.

ten year s t hat I had exi sted without opiu m I per severed .
1 16 UN WINDING TH E A C C UR S E D CHA IN .

in m y ab st inence for ninety hoursi s upward s o f hal f ,

a week Th en I t ook a s k m e no t how m uch 3 sa ye

?
y
-
.
,

s e v ere st ,
what would ye have done Then I ab st ained
again ; then took about 2 5 drops : then ab stained : and
s o on .

Meantime the sy m pto m s which attended my ca se f o r the

r st six week s of the experiment were these : enor m ous irri
t a b il it y and excite m ent o f the whole sys t e m ; t he st o m ach
in par t icular re stored to a full feeling o f vitality and se n
sib ilit but of t en in great pain 3 uncea ing re s tle s sne ss
y 3 s

night and day ; sleep I scarcely knew what it was ;

three hours out of the twenty four was t he ut m ost I had
-
,

and that so agitated and shallo w that I heard every s oun d

t ha t was near me Lower j aw constantly swelling 3 m ou t h
.

ulcerated a n d many other di str e ssing sympto m s that would

,

be tedious to repeat ; a m ongst which however I mu st , ,

men tion one becau se it had never failed to acco m pany any
,

a tt e m pt to renounce O pium viz violent sternutation .

,
.

Thi s now becam e exceedingly troublesom e som eti m e s last ,

ing for two hours at once and recurring at least twice o r

,

t hree ti m es a day I was not much surpri sed at this o n

-
.
,

recollec t ing wha t I had som ewhere heard o r read that the ,

mem brane which lines the nostrils is a prolongation o f that

which lines the sto m ach 3 whence I believe are explained , ,

t he inam m atory appearance s abou t t he no strils o f dram

drinkers The sudden re storation o f its original sensibili ty
.

to the sto m ach expre ssed it self I suppose in t his way It

, , .

is re m arkable al so tha t during the whole period of years

,

through which I had taken opium I had nev e r once caught ,

cold (as the phrase is) nor even the slighte st cough But .

now a violent cold attacked me and a cough soon a f t er

, .

In a n un nished frag m ent o f a letter begun about thi s ti m e

to I nd these words
You ask m e to write t he
1 18 UN WINDING TH E A CCUR SED CHA IN .

to withdraw from o u r notice all t he vital motions such a s ,

the circula t ion o f the blood the expan sion and contrac t ion
,

of the lungs the peri stal t ic action o f t he stom ach etc 3

, , .

and O piu m it see m s is able in t his as in other in stance s

, , , ,

t o counteract her purpo se s By the ad v ice o f the surgeon

.

I tried hit t ers For a short time the se greatly mitigated

.

t he feeling s under which I laboured 3 but about the forty

second day o f the experi m ent the sym ptom s alrea d y
no t iced began to re t ire and n e w ones to ari se o f a d iff erent
,

and far more tor m enting cla ss ; un d er t he se but with a ,

few interv al s o f remis sion I have since continued t o su ff er

,
.

But I di smi ss them undescribed for two rea sons : r st ,

becau se the mind revolts from retracing circum stantially

any su ff erings fro m which i t is re m oved by t o o short o r by
no interval To do this with minutenes s enough to make
.

the review o f any u se would be indeed inf a n d u m re no va re

, , ,

d o lo rem and po s sibly wi t hout a s uf cient mo t ive : for

,

s econdly ,
I doubt whether t his latter state be any way
referable t o opium po siti v ely con sidered or e v en neg ,

a t iv e l that is whether it is t o be numbered a m ongst the

y ,

last evils fro m t he direct action o f O piu m o r even a m ongst ,

the earlies t evil s consequen t u pon wa n t o f O pium in a sy s

tem long deranged by it s u se C ertainly o n e part o f the .

sy m pto m s migh t be accounted f o r from the ti m e o f year

( A ug )
u st 3 for though t he s u m m er was not a hot o n e yet
, ,

in any ca se the su m of all the hea t f u n d ed (if one may sa y

so
) during the pre v iou s mon t h s added to the exi sting heat
,

o f that m onth natura l ly render s A ugu st in it s be tt er half

,

t he hotte st part o f the year ; and it so happened that the

exce ssive perspiration which even at C h rist m as attends

,

any great reduction in the daily quantu m o f O pium and

which in July was so violent as to oblige me t o u se a bath
ve o r six tim es a day had about the setting in of the
-

,
 UN WINDING THE A CCURSED CHA IN 1 19

h o t te st ea son wholly retire d on which account any b a d

s ,

e ff ec t o f t he hea t m ight be t he m ore un m itigated Ano the r .

sy m p t om v iz what in my ign orance I call in t ernal

.
,

rh eu m a t i sm (som e t im e s a ff ecting the shoulders e t c but ,

.
,

m ore o f ten appearing t o b e seated in the sto m ach ) see m ed ,

again le ss probably attribu t able to t he opiu m o r the want

of opiu m than t o the da m pne ss of t h e hou se which I *

inhab i t which had about that t i m e a tt ained it s maxi m u m

, ,

July having been a s u sual a month o f incessant rain in o ur

, ,

m o st rainy par t o f E nglan d .

U nder t he se rea son s for doubting whether opium had

any connec tion wi t h the latter stage o f m y bodily wre t ched
ne ss(excep t indeed a s an occa sional cau se a s ha v ing lef t
, , ,

the body weaker and m ore crazy and t hu s predi spo sed ,

to any mal in u e n ce whatever) I willingly spare m y

- -

reader all de scription o f it 3 le t i t peri sh t o h im ; and

would that I could a s ea sily sa y let i t peri sh t o m y own ,

re m em brances t hat any fu t ure hours o f tranquillity m a y

,

not be di st urbed by too vivid an ideal of po ssible human

m i sery !
S o much for the sequel o f m y experi m ent 3 as to t he
for m er stage in which properly lies the experim ent and it s
,

application to o t her case s I m u s t reque st m y reader not to

,

forget t he rea son s for w hich I ha v e recorded i t The se .

were two rst a belief t ha t I m ight add so m e t rie to t he

,

his tory O f opium a s a medical agent I n thi s I a m aware .

I n sa y ing th is I m e a n n o d isresp e ct t o t h e i nd ivid ua l h o use a s

, ,

t h e re a d e r will u n d e rsta n d wh e n I t e ll h im th a t wit h t h e exc e p ti o n

, ,

o f o n e o r t wo p ri n ce l y m a n sio n s a n d so m e f e w i n f e rio r o n e s t h a t h a ve
,

b e e n co a te d with Ro m a n ce m e nt I a m n o t a cq u a i nt e d with a ny h o use

,

in th is m o u nt a in o u s d istri ct wh ich is wh o ll y wa terpro o f Th e .

a rch it cture o f b o o k s I a tte r m y se l f is co n d u ct e d o n j ust p rin cipl e s

e , ,

in th i s co untry ; b ut f o r a ny o th er a rch it e cture i t is in a b a rb a ro us ,

sta te a n d wh a t is wo rse in a re tro g ra d e sta te

, ,
.
1 20 UN WINDING TH E A C C UR SED CHA IN .

that I have not at all fullled m y own intentions in con ,

sequence of the torpor o f m ind pain o f body and extre m e , ,

di sgu st t o the su bj ect which besieged m e whil st wri ting tha t

par t o f my paper 3 which part being i m m ediately sen t O ff
to the pre ss (di s t ant about v e degrees o f latitude) canno t ,

be corrected o r i m pro v ed But fro m thi s accoun t ra m bli n g

.
,

a s it may b e it is e v ident that thi s much o f benet m a

, y
aris e t o the person s m o st intere sted in such a hi story o f
opium viz to O pium eaters in general that it e st abli shes
.
,
-
, ,

for their con solation and encouragement the fact that ,

opium may be renounced ; and wi thout greater suff erings

than an ordinary resolution m a y support and by a pre tty ,

rapid course of d escent

.

To co m m uni cat e t his re sult o f my experiment wa s m y

fore m ost purpo se S econdly a s a purpo se collateral to t hi s
.
, ,

I w i shed t o explain h o w it had beco m e impo ssible for me

t o co m po se a Third Part in time to acco m pany t his
republication 3 f o r during t he very tim e o f thi s experi m en t ,

the proof shee ts o f thi s reprin t were sen t to m e from

London ; and such was my inability to expand o r to
i m prove them t hat I could not e v en bear to read them
,

over with attention enough to no t ice the press errors o r to ,

correct any verbal inaccuracies The se were my rea sons .

for troubling m y reader with any record long o r short of , ,

experiment s rela t ing to so truly ba se a subj ect a s m y o wn

body ; and I a m earnest with the reader t hat he will not
f orget the m o r so f a r m i sapprehend m e as to believe it
,

po ssible t hat I would conde scend t o so ra scally a subj ect

for it s own sake o r indeed for any le ss obj ect than t hat of
,

On wh ich l a st n o tice I would re m a rk th a t m i ne was to o ra pid

, ,

a n d t h e suff e ri n g th ere f o re n ee dl e ssl y a gg ra va te d 3 o r ra t h er p erh a p s , ,

it wa s n o t suf cie ntl y co ntinuo us a n d e qu a b l y gra d ua te d B ut th a t .

,

t h e rea d er m a y j ud g e f o r h i m sel f a n d a b o v e a l l t h a t t h e O p i um e a t er
, ,
-
,
122 UN WINDING TH E A CC UR SED CHA IN .

m y self occa sionally and I know tha t he is the wor st

,

i m aginable h ea u to n tim o r o u m en o s aggrava ting and su stai n

ing by calling into di stinct con s ciou sne ss every sy m p t o m
,

that wou ld el se perhap s under a di ff erent direction

, ,

given to the though t s become evane scent ,

Bu t as t o .

m y self so profound is my conte m pt for this u n d ign ie d

,

and sel sh habit that I could as lit tle condescend to it

,

a s I could to s pend m
y ti m e in wa t ching a poor servant

girl to whom a t thi s m o m ent I hear som e lad o r other

,

making love a t the back o f my house Is it for a Tran .

sce n d e n t a l Philo sopher to feel any curio sity o n such an

occa sion ?
O r can I who se life is worth only eight and
,

a h a lf

year s purcha se be suppo sed t o have lei sure for
?
,

s uch trivial e m ploy m ent s However t o put thi s o u t o f ,

q uestion I shall s a
, y o n e thing which will perhap s s hock ,

some readers ; but I am sure it ought not to do so ,

cons idering the motives o n which I sa y it N o man I .

,

suppo s e e m ploy s much o f his ti m e on the phenom ena o f

,

h is o wn body without som e regard for it 3 wherea s t he

reader see s tha t so far fro m looking upon mine with any
,

co m placency o r regard I hate it and make it the obj ect of

, ,

my bitter ridicule and contempt ; a nd I shou ld not be

di splea sed t o know t h at the la st indignities which the
law ini cts upon the bodies o f the worst malefactors migh t
hereafter fall upon it A n d in t e st ica t io n of m y sincerity
.
,

in saying t hi s I s hall make t he following o ff er Like o t her

, .

m e n I ha v e particular fancies about the place of my burial 3

,

having lived chiey in a m oun t ainou s region I rather cleave ,

to the conceit that a grave in a green churchyard a m ong st

, ,

the ancient and s olitary hill s will be a su b li m er and m ore ,

tranquil place o f repo s e f o r a philo sopher than any in the

hideou s Golgothas o f London Yet if the gen t lemen o f .

S urgeon s Hall think that any benet can redound t o their

 UNWINDING TH E A CC UR SED CH AI I V . 123

science from in specting the appearan ces in the body o f an

O piu m eater le t the m speak but a word and I will take care
-
, ,

tha t m ine s hall be legally secured to the m i e as soon as I

,
. .
,

have done wi th i t my self Let them not he si t ate t o expre ss

.

their wi she s upon any scruples o f fal se delicacy and con ,

sideration for my feelings 3 I a ssure the m they will do m e

to o m uch honour by dem on stra t ing o n such a crazy body
a s mine ; and it will give m e pleasure t o anticipate thi s

po sthu m ous re v enge and in sult in ic t ed upon that which

h a s cau sed me so m uch su ff ering in this life S uch beque st s
.

are not com m on rever sionary benets contingen t upon the

death o f the te st ator are indeed dangerous to announce in
man y cas e s o f thi s we have a rem arkable in st ance in the
habi t s of a R o m an prince w h o u sed upon any no t ication
, ,

made t o h im by rich per son s that they had left him a

,

ha nd som e e st ate in their wills to expre ss h is entire sa t isf a c

,

tion at such arrange m en t s and his gracious acceptance of

,

t ho se loyal legacie s 3 but then if t he te stators neglected to

,

give hi m i m mediate po sse ssion o f the proper t y if t hey ,

t raitorou sly persi sted in living (si viver e persevera r en t ,

a s S uetoniu s expre sse s it ) he w a s highly provoked and t ook

, ,

h is mea sures accordingly . In tho se t i m es and from o n e o f

,

the wors t o f t he C aesar s we m i gh t expect such conduct ;

,

bu t I am sure that fro m E ngli sh surgeon s at this day I need

look for no expre ssion s of i m patience or o f any o t her feel
,

ings bu t such a s are an swerable t o that pure love o f science

,

and all its interests which induces me t o mak e such an

,

o ff er
.
N O T E S FRO M T H E PO C K E T -
BO O K
OF A L A T E O PI U M E A T E R
-
.

W A L KIN G S T E WAR T .

R S T E WA RT th e traveller commonly call ed

.
,

Walking S tewart was a man o f very e xt ra o r
,

din a ry genius He has generally been treated by

.

thos e who have spoken o f him in print as a m a d

man Bu t this is a mistake 3 and mu st have been founded
.

chiey o n the titles o f his books He w a s a man of fervid mind

.

and of sublim e a spirations 3 but he was no mad m an 3 o r if he ,

was then I sa y that it is so far de sirable to be a mad m an In

,
.

1 7 9 8 or 1 7 9 9 when I mu st have been about thirteen years

,

o l d Walking S tewart w a s in Bath where my family at

,

t hat tim e resided He frequented the pump

. room and I ,

believe all public place swalking up and down and dis ,

persing his philo sophic opinions to the right and the left ,

like a Grecian philo sopher The rst ti m e I sa w h im wa s

.

at a concert in t he U pper R oom s 3 he wa s pointed out to

me by o n e o f my par ty a s a very eccentric man who had
126 NO TE S OF A LA TE OPI UM EA TER -
.

of pa ssion to the service o f trivial and ordinary life 3 and

henc e they have no language o f pa ssion for the service o f
poetry o r o f occasion s really demanding it ; f o r it has been
already e nfeebled by continual association wi t h ca ses o f an
unimpas sioned order Bu t a charac t er o f deeper pa ssion
.

h a s a perpetual s t andard in i t s elf by which a s by an ,

in stinct i t trie s all case s and reject s the language o f pas

,

sion a s d ispr0 po rt io n a t e and ludicrous where it is no t

fully j u s tied
Ah Heavens ! o r
.

O h m y God ! are
excla m a t ion s with us so exclu si v ely reserved for ca ses o f
profound intere st that o n hearing a women even
,
a
person o f the se x m o st ea sily exci t ed ) utter such word s we ,

look around expecting to se e her child in so m e situation o f

danger Bu t in France
.
,

C iel ! and ,

O h mon Die u !

are u t tered by every wo m an if a mou se doe s bu t run acro ss

the oor The ignorant and the t houghtle ss however w ill
.
, ,

continue to cla ss the E ngli sh character under t he phl e g

m atic te m perament w hil s t the philo sopher will perceive
,

that it is the exact polar anti t he sis t o a phlegma t ic

character In thi s conclu sion though otherwi s e expre ssed
.
,

and illu strated Walking S tewart s v iew o f t he E ngli sh
,

character will be found to ter m inate ; and h is opinion is

e specially valuable rs t and chiey becau s e he was a ,

philo sopher 3 secondly because his acquain t ance wi t h m a n

,

civili sed and uncivili sed under all national di stinction s

, ,

w a s ab s olutely unrivalled Mean t i m e t his and o t hers of

.
,

his opinions were expre ssed in language tha t if li t erally

con strued would often appear in sane o r ab surd The truth .

/
is h is long intercour s e wi t h foreign nations had given so m e
,

thing o f a hybrid tincture t o his diction 3 in som e o f his

works for in st ance he uses the French word h la s uni
, ,

form ly f o r the E ngli sh a la s ! and apparently with no

con sciou sness o f h is m i stake He had also t his singularity
.
 NO TE S OF A L A TE OPI UM EA TER
-
. 1 27

about h im tha t h e was everlast ingly me t aphy sici sing

again st m e t aphysics To m e who w a s b uried in me t aphys
.
,

ical reverie s from m y earlie st day s t his w a s no t likely to be ,

a n at t rac t ion ; any m ore t han the viciou s s t ruc t ure of h is

dic tion was likely t o plea se my scholar like tas t e A l l -

.

grounds o f di sgu st however gav e way before my sen se of

, ,

h is powerful m eri t s ; and a s I h ave said I sought h is

, ,

acquaintance C om ing u p to London from O xford about

.

1 8 0 7 or 1 8 0 8 I made inquirie s about h im ; and f ound t ha t

he u sually read t he paper s at a co ff ee room in Picca d illy ; -

under standing t ha t he w a s poor i t struck me t ha t he m igh t ,

not wi sh t o receive v i si t s at h is lo d gi n g s and t herefore I ,

s o u gh t h im at the co ff ee roo m -
Here I took t he liber t y o f
.

in t roduci n g m y self t o h im He received m e courteou sly

.
,

and invi t ed m e t o his roo m swhich a t t ha t ti m e were in

S herrard S t reet Golden S quarea s t reet already m e m o r
,

able to m e I w a s m uch st ruck wi t h t he eloquence o f his

.

conversa t ion ; and af t erward s I found t ha t Mr Word s .

wor t h hi m self t he mo s t eloquen t o f men in con v ersation

, ,

had been equally struck when he had m e t h im a t Paris

b e t ween the year s 1 7 90 and 1 7 9 2 during t he early storm s ,

o f t he French R e v olu t ion In S herrard S t reet I vi sited h im

.

repeatedly and took no t e s of t h e conver sa tion s I had wi t h

,

h im o n variou s s ubj ec t s The se I mu st have s om ew h ere

.

o r o t her ; and I wi sh I could in troduce t he m here ,

as t hey would intere st the reader O cca sionally in .

t h e se con v ersation s a s in his book s he introduced

, ,

a few not ice s of his pri v ate hi s t ory 3 in particular I

re m e m ber his t elling me that in t he E ast Indie s he had been
a pri soner o f H yd e r s 3 tha t he had e scaped wi t h so m e

di fcul ty 3 and t ha t in the ser v ice o f o n e o f t he na t ive

princes as secre t ary or in t erpre ter he had accu m ula t ed a ,

sm all for t une . T h i s m u s t ha v e been t o o sm all I fear a t , ,

12 8 NO TE S OF A L A TE O PI UM E A TE R .

t hat time to allow him even a philo sopher s com for t s ; f o r
so m e par t o f i t inve sted in the French f und s had been
, ,

con s ca t ed I w a s grieved t o se e a man o f so m uch a b ili t y

.
,

o f gen t le m anly manners and rened habi t s and with t he

, ,

inrm i t y o f deafne ss su ff ering under such ob v ious priva

,

tions ; and I once took t he liberty o n a t occa sion ,

pre sen t ing i t self o f reque sting that he would al l ow m e t o

,

s end h im s o m e book s which he had been ca sually regretting

that he did not po sses s 3 for I w a s a t t hat ti m e in t he hey

day o f my worldly pro speri ty This o e r however he
.
, ,

declin e d with rm ne ss and dignity t hough not unkindly , .

A n d I now men t ion it becau se I have seen h im charged in

,

print wi t h a sel sh regard t o his o wn pecuniary in t ere st .

O n the contrary he appeared to me a very liberal and

,

generou s man 3 and I well re m e m ber that whil st he ref used ,

t o accep t o f anything from m e he compelled me t o receive ,

as pre sents all the books w hich he publi shed during my

acquain t ance with h im 3 two of these corrected w ith his
o wn hand viz t he L yre of Ap o l lo and th e S ophio m eter I
.
, ,

have lately found a m ongst other book s left in London 3 and

o t her s he forwarded to m e in We stmoreland In 1 8 0 9 I .

sa w h i m of t en 3 in the spring of that year I happened t o be

in London 3 and Mr Word sworth s tract o n t he C on v ention

.

o f C intra b eing at that ti m e in the printer s hand s I s uper ,

in t ended t he publica t ion of it 3 and at Mr Word sworth s .

reque st I added a long note o n S pani sh a ff airs which is

, ,

printed in the A ppendix The opinions I expressed in this .

n o t e o n the S pani s h character at that ti m e much calu m

,

n ia t e d o n the retreat t o C orunna then fre sh in the public

, ,

mind above all the contem pt I expre ssed f o r the super

, ,

st it io n in re spect to the French military prowe ss which was

then universal and at it s height and which gave way in ,

fac t only to the ca m paigns of 1 8 1 4 and 1 8 1 5 fell in a s it , ,

1 30 NO TE S O F A L A TE OPI UM E A TE R
-
.

Magazine the Mem oir by his relation I have since l earned

of

t hat he applied thi s m oney mo st w isely to t he purcha se o f

an annuity and t hat he per si sted in living t oo long for
,

the peace o f an annuity of ce S o fare all co m panie s E a st .

and We st and all annuity o ice s that stand opposed in

, ,

intere st to philo sophers ! In 1 8 1 4 however t o m y great , ,

regret I did not se e him ; for I w a s then taking a great

,

deal o f O piu m and never could contrive t o i ssue to the ligh t

,

o f day soon enough for a mor ni ng call upon a philo sopher of

such early hours 3 and in the evening I concluded he would

b e generally abroad fro m what he had formerly co m m uni
,

c a t e d to me o f h is o w n habits It see m s however that he

.
, ,

aft erward s held co n versa tio n es at his o wn roo m s 3 and did

n o t s tir o u t to thea t re s qui t e so much Fro m a broth e r of .

mine who at o n e ti m e occupied room s in t h e sa m e hou se

,

wi t h h im I learned that in o ther re spects he did not devia t e

,

in his pro sperity from the philo sophic tenor o f his former
life He abate d nothing o f his peripatetic exerci ses 3 and
.

repaired duly in the m orning a s he had done in for m er ,

years to S t Ja m e s s Park
, .

where he sate in conte m plative
,

ea se amongst the cow s inhaling their b almy breath and ,

purs uing h is philo sophic reveries He h a d al so purchased .

an organ o r m ore than o n e with which he solaced h is

, ,

s olitude and beguil e d hi m self o f unea sy thought s if he e v er ,

had any .

The works o f Walking S tewart mu st be read with s o m e

in dulgence 3 the ti t le s are generally t o o lof t y and pre t ending
a n d so m ewha t extravagan t ; the co m position is lax and
unpreci se a s I have be f ore said 3 and t he doctrine s are
,

occa sionally very bol d incautiou sly stated and t o o hardy

, ,

and high toned for the nervous e ff e m inacy of many m odern

-

morali st s But Walking S tewart w a s a m a n who t hought

.

nobly of hu m an nature 3 he w rote therefore a t ti m e s in t he

 N O 7 E 5 OF A L A22 OPI UM E A TE R

-
. 1 31

s pirit and with the indignation of an ancient prophet

again st t he oppre ssors and de stroyers o f the t ime In par .

t icu l a r I rem e m ber that in o n e o r more o f the pamphl ets

which I received from him at Grasmere he e xpre ssed hi m
s elf in such term s on the s ubj ect of Tyrannicide (di stingui sh

ing t he ca se s in which it wa s and wa s not lawful ) as seem ed

t o Mr Wordswor t h and m y self every way wor t hy o f a
.

philo sopher ; but from the way in which that subj ect was
,

t reated in t he Hou se o f C o m m on s where it wa s at tha t

,

ti m e occa sionally introduced i t w a s plain t hat h is doc t rine

,

wa s no t t ted f o r the luxurie s and relaxed morals o f the

age . Like all men who t hink nobly o f human nature ,

Walking S tewart thought o f it hopefully In so m e

.

re spects his hope s were w isely grounded ; in o t hers t hey

rested t o o m uch upon certain m etaphysical speculation s
which are untenable and which sati sed hi m self only
,

because h is researches in that track had been purely self

originated and self disciplined He relied upon h is o wn
-
.

native strength o f mind 3 but in que stions which the w is ,

d o m and philo sophy o f every age building succe ss ively upon

each other have not been able to se ttle no mind howe v er
,

strong is en t itled to build wholly upon it s elf In m any .

thing s b e shocked the religiou s sense e specially a s it exi st s

in unphilo sophic minds : he held a s ort o f rude and un scie n
t i c S pin o sism 3 and he expre ssed it coarsely and in the
way m o st likely to give o ff ence An d indeed t here can be
.

no stronger proof o f the ut t er ob scuri t y in which his works

have slu m bered than tha t they should all have e scaped
prosecution He al so allowed hi m self to look too ligh tly
.

and indulgently o n the a l ict in g spectacle of fem ale pro sti

t u t io n as i t exi st s in London and in all great cities This .

w a s the only point o n which I w a s di spo sed to quarrel wi t h

h im 3 for I could not bu t v iew it a s a grea t er reproach to
1 32 N O TE S O F A L A TE OPI UM E A TE R -
.

hu m an nature than t he slave trade or any sight o f wretched

-
,

ne s s that the su n looks down upon I often told him s o 3 .

and that I was at a loss to gue ss how a philo sopher could

allow hi m self to vi e w it si m ply as part o f the equipage o f
civil life and as reasonably making part o f the establi sh
,

m ent and furniture o f a great city as pol ic e o fce s lamp -

,
.

lighting o r newspapers
, .W aiving however this o n e, ,

instance o f so m ething like com pliance wi th t he brutal spirit

of the world o n all other subj ec ts he was eminently
,

u nworldly childlike si m ple m inded and upright

, ,
-
,
He .

would a t ter no man 3 even when addre ssing na t ion s it is ,

almo st laughable to se e h o w invariably he prefaces his

counsel s with such plain truths uttered in a manner so
o ff en sive as must have defeated his purpo se if it had other
w i se any chance o f being acco m pli shed For instance in .
,

addre ssing A m erica he begins thu s : People o f America !

,

since your s eparation fro m the moth e r country your m oral -

,

charac t er has degenerated in the energy o f t hought and sense 3

produced by the absence of your a ssociation and intercour se
wi t h Bri t ish O f cers and merchants 3 yo u have no moral d is
c e rn m e n t to di stingui sh between the protective power of

E ngland and the de stru ctive power of France A n d his .

letter to the Irish nation opens in this agreeable and co n

c ilia t o r manner People o f Ireland ! I addre ss you as a
y
true philosopher o f n ature foreseeing the p e rpetual mi sery
,

your irre e ct ive character and total ab sence o f moral discern

m ent are preparing for ,
etc The s econd sentence begin s
.

th us
Y o u are sacrilegiou sly arre sting t he arm o f your
parent kingdom ghting the cau se o f man and na t ure when ,

the triu m ph o f the end o f French police t e rror would be

your o wn in stant e xtirpation
An d the letter clo ses
.

thus I se e but o n e awful alternative that Ireland will

be a perpetual moral volcano threatening t he de struction
,
 1 34 NO TE S O F A L A TE O PI UM E A TE R -
.

of his work s he announc e s himsel f a s John S tewart the

,
*
only man o f na t ure that ever appeared in the world .

By t his ti m e I a m afraid the reader begins to su spect

that h e was crazy ; and certainly when I con sider every ,

thing h e mu st ha v e been crazy when the wind wa s a t

,

N N E 3 for who but Walking S tewart e v er dated his

. . .

book s by a computa t ion drawn not from the creation not ,

fro m th e ood n o t from N abona ssar o r a b wrbe co n d ita

, , ,

not from the Hegira but from t he m selves from their o wn ,

d a y o f publication a s constituting the o ne grea t aera in the

,

hi story o f man by the si d e o f which all other sera s were

frivolous and i m pertinent ?
Thu s in a work o f h is gi v en
,

t o m e in 1 8 1 2 and probably publi shed in that year I n d

, ,

him incidentally reco rding of hi m self that he was at t h at

time arrived at the age o f six t y three with a rm sta t e of
-
,

health acquired by temperance and a peace o f mind almo st

,

independent o f the vice s of mankind becau se m y know

ledge o f life has enabl ed me to place my happines s beyond
the reach o r contact o f other men s follies and pa ssion s
,

by avoiding all fam ily connexion s and all a m bi t iou s pursui t s

o f prot fame o r power , ,
O n reading this pa ssage I w a s
.

anxious to a scertain its date 3 bu t this o n turning to t he ,

ti tle page I found thus my steriou sly expre sse d : In the

-
,

7 0 0 0 t h y e ar of A st rono m ical Hi story and the r st day o f ,

I ntellectual Life o r Moral World fro m the aera o f t his ,

work .An other slight indication o f crazine s s appeared
in a notion which ob stinately haunted his mind tha t all the
kings and rulers o f the earth would confederate in e very age

In B a th h e wa s surna m e d t h e Ch ild o f N a ture 3

wh ich a ro se
f ro m h is co ntra sti n g o n e ve ry o cca si o n t h e existi ng m a n o f o u r pre se n t
e xp e ri e n ce wi t h t h e i d e a l o r S t e wa rt ia n m a n t h a t m i gh t b e exp e ct e d

t o e m erg e in so m e m yri a d s o f a g e s t o wh ich l a tter m a n h e ga v e t h e

,

n a m e o f t h e C h i ld o f N a ture .
 NO TES OF A L A TE O PI UM EA TER -
.
5
13

against his works and would hunt the m ou t f o r exter m ina

,

t ion a s keenly as Herod did the innocents in Bethlehe m .

O n thi s con sidera t ion f earing that t hey m ight be intercepted

,

by t he long arm s o f the se wicked princes before t hey could

reach t ha t rem o t e S t e w a rt ia n m a n or h is precur sor to whom
t hey were m ainly addre ssed he recom m ended to all tho se
,

who m igh t be i m pre ssed with a sen se o f their i m portance to

b ury a copy or copie s o f each work properly secured fro m ,

dam p e t c at a dep t h o f seven or eight fee t below the surface

,
.
,

o f t he eart h 3 and o n their dea t h bed s t o co m m unicate t he

-

knowledge of thi s fact t o some conden t ial friend s who in ,

t heir turn were to send down t he tradition t o som e di scree t

per sons o f t he next generation ; and t hus if t he t ru t h w a s ,

not t o be di spers ed f o r many ages yet t he knowledge that

,

here and t here t he tru t h lay buried o n t his and t h at conti

nent in secret spots on Moun t C auca susin the sands o f
,

Bil e d u lge rid and in hiding place s a m ongst the fore sts o f
-

A m erica and w a s t o ri se again in so m e di stan t age and t o

,

v e ge t a t e and fructify for the uni v ers al bene t o f man thi s

knowledge at lea st w a s t o be whi spered down from genera
tion to generation ; and in deance o f a m yriad o f kings
,

cru sading again s t h im Walking S t ewart w a s to s t retch ou t

,

the inuence of h is writings through a long serie s o f

Aa pwa a So Eo t o tha t child of nature who m he sa w d i m ly
c

t hrough a v i st a of m any centuries I f t hi s were m adn e ss

.
,

i t seemed to m e a s om ewha t subli m e m adne s s 3 and I

a ssured h im o f m y e d o pe ra t io n again st t he kings pro ,

m isin g that I would bury
The Harp o f A pollo in
m y o w n orchard in Gra sm ere at t he foot o f Moun t

Fa ire l d 3 t ha t I would bury
The A pocalyp se o f N a t ure
in o n e of t he coves o f Hel v ellyn and several o ther places
,

best known t o m y self He accepted my o ff er wi t h

.

ra t i t u de 3 b u t he then m ade known to m e t ha t he relie d

g
1 36 N O TE S O F A L A TE OPIUME A TE R-
.

on my assistanc e f o r a still more i m portant s e rvicewhich

was thi s : in the lapse o f t ha t va st number of ages which
would probably intervene between the present period and
the p e riod at which his works would have reach e d their
destination he feared that the E nglish languag e might
,

itself have mouldered away No I said
. t ha t was ,

not probable ; considering its exten sive di ff u sion and tha t ,

it was now transplanted into all the continents of o ur

planet I would back the E nglish language against any
,

o t her o n earth His o wn persuasion howe v er was that
.
, ,

the Latin was destined t o survive all other l anguages ; it

was t o be the et e rnal as well as the univer sal language 3and
his de sir e w as that I would tran slate h is works o r some ,

part of th e m into that language

,
*
This I promised 3 and I
.

seriously designed at s o m e lei sure hour to tra n slate into

Latin a selection of pa ssage s which should embody an

abstract o f his philosophy This would have b e en doing a
.

service to all tho se who might wi sh t o se e a digest o f h is

pecu liar opinions cleared fro m t he perplexities o f h is

peculiar diction and brought into a narro w compa ss fro m
,

I wa s not ware until t h e m o m e nt o f writing th is p a ssa ge t h a t

a

W a lking Stewa rt h a d pub l icl y m a d e t h is re que st th re e y ea rs a fte r

m a k in g i t t o m y se l f : o p e ni n g t h e Ha rp o f Ap o ll o I h a ve j ust n o w ,

a cci d e nta ll y st um b l e d o n t h e f o ll o wi n g p a ssa g e Th is stu pe nd o us

,

wo rk is d e sti ned I f e ar t o m e et a wo rse f a te t h a n t h e Al o e wh ich a s

, , ,

so o n a s i t b l o sso m s l o se s it s st a lk . Th i s rst b l o sso m o f re a so n is

th rea te n e d with t h e l o ss o f b o th its sta lk a n d it s so il ; f o r if t h e ,

re v o l ut i o n a ry ty ra n t sh o uld t ri um ph h e wo uld d e stro y a ll t h e E n gl i h

, s

b o o k s a n d e n ergie s o f t h o ugh t . I c o nj u re m y re a d ers t o t ra n sl a t e th i s

w rk int o L a ti n a nd t o b ury it in t h e gro un d co m m u nica ting o n
o , ,

th eir d ea t h b e d s o n l y it s pl a ce o f co n ce a l m e nt t o m e n o f n a t ure
-
"
.

Fro m t h e titl e p a g e o f t h is wo rk b y t h e wa y I l ea rn th a t t h e
-
, ,

7 0 0 0 t h y e a r o f Astro n o m i ca l Hi st o ry is t k e n f ro m t h e C h i n e s e

a

t a b l es a n d co inci d e s (a s I h a d suppo se d ) wi t h t h e ye a r 1 8 1 2 o f o ur
,

co m put a ti o n .
1 38 NO TE S O F A L A TE OPI UM EA TER-
.

to the account of happiness ; it is nev e r put down w ith t he

po si t ive sign a s equal t o x ; but si m ply as 0
,
An d .

m e n r st become aware that it wa s a posi t iv e quantity wh en

fallen into
,

they have lo st it x) Mean t ime the .

genial plea sure fro m the v ital proce sses though not re pre ,

s ented to the con sciousne ss is i m m a n en t in every a ct

,

i m pulse motion worda n d thought ; and a philosopher

see s that t h e idiots are in a state o f plea sure t hough t hey ,

canno t se e it them selv e s N o w I sa y t ha t where this

.
,

principle of pl e a sure is not at t ached m adness is of te n little

,

m ore than an en t hu sia sm highly exalted the ani m al spirits

are e xuberant and in exce ss and the m adman becomes if ,

he be o t herwi se a m a n of ability a n d information all the ,

better a s a companion I have met with several such mad

.

m en and I appeal t o my brilliant friend Profe ssor ,

who is not a man to tolerate dulness in any q uar t er and is ,

hi m self the id e al o f a delightful co m panion whe t her he ,

ever me t a m ore a m u sing person than tha t m adman who ,

took a po st chai se with us fro m

-
to C arli sle long years ,

ago when he and I were ha stening with the speed of f u

,

g it i ve felons to catch the E dinburgh mail His fancy and .

h is extra v a gance and his furiou s attacks o n S ir I saac

,

N ewton like Pl ato s suppers refreshed us not only for t hat
, ,

day but whenever t hey recurred t o u s and we were both

grieved when we heard some time af t erward s fro m a C a m
bridge m a n that he had met o u r clever friend in a stage
coach under the care o f a brutal keeper S uch a madness .
,

if any was t he madne ss o f Walking S tewart ; his heal t h

,

w a s perfect ; h is spiri t s as ligh t and ebullient a s the S pirit s

o f a bird in spring ti m e and h is m ind unagitated by painful
-

t hough t s and a t peace wi t h it self Hence if he w a s no t

, .
,

an a m u sing co m panion it was becau se the philo soph ic

,

direc t ion o f his though t s made him som ething m ore O f .

 NO TE S OF A LA TE OPI UM EA TER
-
. I 39

anecdo t es and m at t ers of fact he was n o t co m m unicative

o f all t ha t he had seen in t he va st com pa ss o f h is tra v el s he

never availed hi m self in conversa t ion I do n o t re m e m ber

.

a t t hi s m o m en t that he e v er once alluded to his o wn tra v els

in h is intercourse wi t h m e except for the purpo se o f weigh
ing down by a state m en t grounded o n his o w n great
per sonal experience an oppo si t e st a t e m ent o f m any ha st y
and m i sjudging t ravellers which he though t injuriou s t o
hum an na t ure ; t he state m en t w a s thi s t hat in all h is ,

countle ss rencon t re s w i t h uncivili sed tri b es he had ne v er

m e t wi t h any s o f e rocious and brutal a s to attack an
unarmed and defencele ss m a n who was able to make them
understand tha t he threw hi m self upon their ho spi t ality and
forbearance .

O n the whole Walking S tewar t w a s a sublime vi sionary

,

he had seen and su ff ered m uch am ongs t men ye t n o t t oo

m uch o r s o a s t o dull the genial tone of h is sympa t hy wi t h
,

the su ff eri n gs o f o thers His mind w a s a mirror of the se n

.

tient uni v er se The whole m igh ty vi sion that had e e t e d

.

before h is eye s in thi s world the ar m ie s o f Hyder Al i and

,

his so n w i t h oriental and barbaric pagean t ry t h e ci v ic ,

grandeur of E nglandthe grea t desert s o f A sia and A m erica

t he v a s t capi t al s of E urope London wi t h it s eternal
,

,

agitation s t he cea sele ss ebb and o w of its m ighty hear t
, ,

Pari s shaken by the erce tor m ent s o f revolutionary

con v ul sion s t he silence o f Lapland and the s oli t ary fore st s
, ,

of C anada wi t h t he swarming li f e o f t he torrid zone

, ,

t ogether wi t h innu m erable recollec tions o f individual j oy

and sorrow t ha t he had par t icipated b y sy m pa t hylay
,

like a m a p b enea t h h im a s if e t ernally c o pre sen t to h is

,
-

vie w ; so t ha t in t he contem pla t ion o f t h e prodigiou s

,

whole he h a d no lei sure t o s epara t e t he parts o r occupy

, ,

h is m ind with de t ail s Hence ca m e t h e m ono t o n y which

.
1 40 N O TE S O F A L A TE O PI UM I E A TE R .

the frivolous and t he desultory would have found in h is

conv e rsation . I however who am perhap s the person
, ,

be st qualied to speak o f him m u st pronounc e h im to ,

have been a m a n o f great genius : and with reference ,

to his conversation of great eloquence That the se were

, .

not better known and acknowledged was owing to two

di sadvan t age s ; o n e grounded in his i m perfect education ,

the other in the peculiar structure o f h is mind The rst .

w a s this : like the la t e Mr S helley he had a ne vague

.

e nthusiasm and lofty aspirations in connec tion with human

n ature generally and it s hope s and like him he strove to
give steadine ss a uniform direction and an intelligible pur
, ,

pose t o these feelin gs by tting t o them a sch e me o f

,

philosophical opinions But unfortunately the philosophic

.

syst e m o f both w a s so far from supporting their o wn view s

and the cravings o f their o w n enthu sia sm that a s in some , ,

point s it was baseless incoherent o r unintelligi b le so in

, , ,

others it tended to moral re sult s from which if they had , ,

foreseen them they would have been t h e m selve s the rst to

,

shrink as contradictory t o the very purpo se s in which t heir

,

sy ste m had ori ginated Hence in m aintaining t heir o wn

.
,

sy stem they bo t h fo u nd t he m selves painfully entangled at

time s with t enets pern icious and degrading to human

n ature . The se were the inevitabl e consequences o f the
( wr o v \I e v30 9 in t heir speculations ;
but were naturally
charged u pon the m by tho se who looked carele ssly into
their book s a s O pinions w hich not only for t he sake o f con
si stency they t hought them selves bound to endure but t o ,

which they gave the full weight of their sanction and

pa t ronage a s to s o m any moving principle s in t heir sy st e m .

The other di sad v an t age under which Walking S t ewart

laboured was thi s he w a s a m a n of genius bu t no t a man ,

o f talen ts ; at leas t h is genius w a s o u t of all proport ion t o

O N T HE KN O C K I N G AT T HE GAT E

IN MA C BE T H .

RO M my boyi sh days I had always felt a great

perplexi ty o n o n e point i n Macbe t h : it was
t hi s the knocking at the gate which succeed s t o
,

the murder of Duncan produced to m y f eelings

,

an e ff ect for which I never could account ; the e ff ect w a s

that it reected back upon the m urder a peculiar awful
ne ss and a depth o f solemnity : y e t however ob stina t ely I
,

endeavoured wi t h m y understanding to com prehend thi s for ,

many years I never could se e why it should produce s uch

an e ff ect
.

Here I pause f o r o n e mo m ent to exhort the reader never

to pay any a t tention t o his understanding when it stand s in
opposition to any other facul ty o f h is mind The m ere
.

understanding howe v er u seful and indi spen sable is the

, ,

meanest facul t y in the hu m an m ind and the m ost t o be

di st rus t ed : and yet the grea t m aj ori ty o f people tru st to
nothing el se ; which may do f o r ordinary life but not for,

philo sophic purpo se s . O f t hi s o ut

, of t en thou sand
instan ces tha t I might produce I will cite o n e A sk of
, .
 N O TES O F A L A TE OPI UM EA T ER
-
. I 43

any per son whatsoever who is not previou sly prepared f o r

,

t he demand by a knowledge of perspective t o draw in t h e ,

rudest way t he co m m one st appearance which depend s upo n

the laws of t ha t science a s f o r in st ance to repre sen t t h e ,

e ff ect o f two wall s standing at right angles t o each o t her or ,

the appearance o f t he hou se s on each side o f a s tree t a s ,

s een by a person looking down t he street from o n e

extremity . N o w in all ca se s u nl e ss t he person h a s
,

happened to ob serve in pic t ure s how it is tha t arti st s

produce the se e ff ec ts he will be ut t erly unable t o m ake t he
,

s malle st approxi m a t ion to it Ye t why l Fo r he h a s

.

actually seen the e ff ect every day of his life The rea son .

istha t he a llo ws his unders t anding t o overr ule his eye s .

His understanding which include s no in t uitive knowledge

,

o f the laws of vi sion can furn ish h im wi t h n o reas on why

,

a line which is known and can be proved to be a horizon t al

line should not a ppea r a horizon t al l ine : a line that ma d e
, ,

any angle with the perpendicular le ss t han a righ t angle ,

would seem to him t o indica t e that h is hou se s were all

tumbling down together A ccordingly he mak e s the line
.

of h is hou se s a horizontal line a n d fails of cours e to

,

produce the e ff ect dem anded Here then is o n e in stance

.

o ut o f many in which not only the unders t anding is

,

allowed t o overrule the eye s but where t he understanding

,

is po siti v ely allowed to obli t erate t he eye s a s i t were :

f o r not only doe s t he man belie v e t he evidence o f h is
unders t anding in oppo si t ion to t ha t of his eye s but (whic h ,

is mon strou s !) t he idio t is n o t aware that h is eye s e v er

gave such e v idence He does not kno w t ha t he h a s seen
.

( and therefore q u o a d his con sciou sne ss h a s n o t s een

) t ha t
which he ha s seen every day of h is li f e But t o return .

f ro m t hi s digre ssion m y under st anding could furni sh no

,

rea son w h y t he knocking a t the gate in Macbe t h should

144 N O TE S O F A L A TE OPI UM E A TER
-
.

produc e any e ff ect direct o r reected : in fact my un ,

d e rst a n d in g said po sitively th at it could no t produ ce any

e f fect . Bu t I kne w better : I felt that it did : and I
waited and clung to the probl e m until furth e r knowl e dge
should enable m e to solve it At length in 1 8 1 2 Mr
.
, , .

William s made h is d bu t o n the stage of R atcliff e Highway ,

and executed tho se unparalleled murd e rs which hav e pro

cured f o r him such a brilliant and undying repu t ation O n .

which murders by the way I mu st obs e rve that in o n e

, , ,

re spec t t hey have had an ill e ff ect by making the co nn o is

,

se u r in murder very fa stidiou s in his ta ste and dissati sed

,

wi t h any t hing tha t h a s been since done in that line All .

o ther murd e rs look pale by the deep crimson o f hi s : and ,

a s an amateur once said to me in a querulous tone There ,

h a s been absolutely nothing d o in g since his time or n othing ,

that s worth speaking of
But this is wrong
. for it
is unreasonable to e xpect all men to be great artists and ,

born with the geni us o f Mr W illiams N o w it wil l be

. .

re m embered that in the rst o f these m urders (tha t o f the

Marrs) t he same incident (of a knocking at th e door soon
af t er t he work o f ext er m ina t ion was complete ) did actually
occur which the genius of S hake speare had invent e d : and
all good j udge s and the mos t eminent dile t tanti acknow
ledged the felicity o f S hak e speare s suggestion as soon as it

w a s actual ly reali sed Here then was a fresh proof t hat I

.

had be e n right in relying o n m y o wn feeling in O ppo sition

t o my un derstanding and again I se t m yself to s tudy th e
proble m at length I solved i t to m y o w n sat isfaction and
my solution is thi s Murder in ordinary cases where the
.
,

sympathy is wholly directed to the ca se of the murde red

per son is an incident o f coarse and vulgar horror and for
,

t hi s rea sonthat it in gs the intere st exclu sively upon the

natural but ignoble in stinct by which we cleave to life ; an
1 46 N O TE S O F A L A TE OPI UM EA TER -
.

a wake and his feelings caught chiey by con t agion from

,

heryet as bo t h were nally involv e d in t he guilt o f

,

m urder the murderou s m ind o f nece ssi t y is nally t o b e

,

pre su m ed in bo t h Thi s was t o be expres sed ; and o n i ts

.

o w n account a s well a s to make it a m ore proportionable

,

antagoni st to the uno ff ending nature o f t heir vic t i m

the ,

gracious Duncan and adeq u ately to expound the deep

,

da m nation o f his taking o , t hi s w a s to be expre ssed with
peculiar energy We were t o be m ade to feel t hat the
.

human nature the divine nature o f love and mercy ,

spr e ad through th e h e arts of all creature s and seldom ,

utterly withdrawn from manwas gone vani shed extinct , ,

and that the endi sh na t ure had taken it s place An d a s .

,

this e ff ect is m arvellou sly accompli shed in t he dialogues

and soliloquies t hem selves so it is nally consummated
,

by the expedient under consid e ration ; and i t is to thi s

that I n o w solicit the reader s attention If th e reader

.

has ever witne ssed a wife d augh t er o r sist cr in a fainting

, , ,

t he may chance to have obser v ed that the m ost a ffecting

,

m o m ent in s uch a S pectacle is th a t in which a sigh and a

stirring announc e the recommence m ent o f su spended life .

O r if the reader has ever been pre sen t in a vas t m etropolis

,

o n the day when s ome great na t ional idol w a s carried in

funeral pomp to his grave and chancing t o walk nea r to

,

the cour se through which it pa ssed h a s felt powerfully , ,

in the silence and desertion o f t he stree ts and in the

stagna t ion o f ordinary bu sine ss the deep intere st which
,

at that mo m ent w a s posse ssi n g t he heart o f man ii

all at once he should hear the death like stillness broken -

u p by t he sound o f wh e els rattling away fro m the scene ,

and m aking known that th e tran si t ory vi sion w a s d is

s ol v ed ,
he will be aware t hat a t no moment w a s his
sen se o f th e complete su spen sion and pau se in ordinary
 N O TE S O F A L A TE OPI UM EA TER
-
. 1 47

hum an concerns so full and aff ecting as a t that mom e nt

when the su spen sion cea se s and the goings o n o f hu m an
,
-

life are suddenly resu m ed All action in any direction is

.

best expounded m ea sured and made apprehen sible by

, , ,

reaction N o w apply this to the case in Macbe t h Here

. .
,

a s I have s aid the retiring of the huma n heart and the

,

entrance o f the endi sh heart was to be expres sed and

m ade s en sible A nother world h a s stepped in ; and t h e
.

m urderer s are taken o u t o f the region o f hu m an thing s ,

hu m an purposes human de sires ,

They are t ra nsgu re d :
.

Lady Macbe t h is un sexed Macbe t h h a s fo rgot that he

wa s born o f wo m an ; both are confor m ed to the image o f
d evils and the world of devils is suddenly revealed Bu t
?
.

how shall this be conveyed and made palpable In order

tha t a new world may step in t hi s world m ust for a time ,

di sappear The murderers and t he murder must be

.
, ,

in sula t edcut o ff by an i m measurabl e gulph from the

or d inary tide a n d succe ssion o f hu m an a ff airs lock e d up
and seque stered in so m e deep r e ce ss : we mu st be ma d e
s en sible t hat the world o f ordinary life is suddenly a rre sted

-
laid a sleeptranced racked into a dread armi stice :
ti me must be annihilate d ; r ela tion to things wi t hout
aboli shed ; and all mu st pa ss self wi t hdrawn into a deep -

syncope and su spension o f earthly pa ssion Hence it is .

that when the d eed is donewhen t he work o f darkne ss is

perfect then the world o f darkne ss pass e s away like a
,

pageantry in the clouds the knocking at the gate is heard

and it m ake s known audibly that t he reaction has com
m e n ce d t he human has made it s reux upon the endi sh :
the pul se s o f life are beginning to beat again : and the
re establi sh m ent o f the o in s o n o f the world in which we
g g
-

live rst makes us profoundly sensible of the awful

,

parenth esis t hat had su spended them .

1 48 N O TES O F A L A TE O PI UI -
EA T ER
.

Oh mighty poet Thy works are n o t a s thos e of other

men simply and merely great works o f art ; but are al so
,

like the pheno m ena o f na t ure like the su n and the se a t he

, ,

stars and the o w e rs like frost a n d snow rain and dew

, , ,

hail storm and thunder which ar e to be studied wi t h entire

,

s ubmi ssion o f o u r o wn facultie s and in t he perfec t fai t h

,

tha t in them t here ca n b e no too much or too little nothing ,

usele ss or inertbut that th e further we pre s s in o u r d is

,

c o ve rie s the more we shall se e proo f s o f de sign and s el f

,

supporting arrangemen t where th e careles s eye had seen

nothing but accident
15
0 N O TE S O F A L A TE OPI UM E A TER
-
.

argum e nt o f his oppon e nts turn e d upon a false denition o f

d e jn o t explici t ly state d b ut a ssu m e d) he endeavoured
n gj , ,

to r e constitute t he notion o f what is ess e nt ial to create an

kill a man is n o t murder :

s imply f o r a m a n t o kill himselfmay n o t always b e so ; there

is s uch a thing as si m ple homicide murder ; -

there m a y ther e fore po ssib l y liet h a t hing as self

.

, ,

homicid e distinc t from s elf m urder Ther e m a y be a

-
.

grou n d for such a distinction ex a n a logia But secondly

?
, .
, ,

o n examinatio n is th e re any ground f o r such a distinction

,

Donne a irm s that t here is and r e vi e wing s e veral eminen t

cases of spontan e ous mart y rdo m he e nd e avour s to show ,
x

that acts so m o t i ved an d so circum stan tia t ed will n o t come

'

within th e no t ion o f suicide properly dened Meantime .

,

may n o t this tend to the encouragement o f suici de in

general a n d wi t hout discrimination o f its spe cie s
, No ?
Donne s arguments have no prospective refer e nce o r a ppli

cation th e y ar e pur ely re st ro spe ct iv e The circumstance s .

nece ssary to create an act o f mere self homicid e can rarely -

concur except in a state o f di sordered society a n d during

, ,

th e ca rd in a l revolutions of human hi story ; where however , ,

t hey d o concur there i t will n o t be suicide I n fact this is

, .
,

the n atural and particular j udgment o f us all We do .

n o t all agre e o n the particular case s whi ch will j ustify self

de struction but we all f e el and involuntarily acknowle d ge

( p
i m lic i t l y acknowledge in o u r ad m iration though not ,

explici tly in o u r word s o r in o u r principle s) tha t t here care ,

s uch ca ses . There is no man who in h is heart would n o t

,

reverence a wo m an that cho se to die rather t han to be d is

honoured and if w e do not sa y that it is h e r duty to do
,

so , t h a t is becau s e the mora list mu st conde s cend to t he

weakness and in rm it ie s of human natur e : mean and
 N O TE S O F A L A TE OPI UM
E A TE R . 1 51

ignoble natures must not b e taxed up to th e level o f noble

ones A gain w ith re gard to the other se x corporal puni sh
.
, ,

ment is a peculiar and sex u a l degradation and if e ver the

di stinction o f Donne can be applied safely to any ca se i t ,

wil l be t o the ca se o f him who chooses to die rather than t o

submit to that ignomin y At presen t however there is but
.
, ,

a dim and v e ry conned sen se even amongst enlightened ,

men (a s we may se e by the debate s o f Parliament) of the ,

i nj ury which is don e to human nature by giving lega l

sanction to such brutalising acts and therefore m o st men ,

in seekin g t o escap e it would be merely shrinking from a

,

ers ona l di shonour C orporal pun i s hment i s u s ually argued

p .

with a single reference to the ca se o f him who su ff ers it ;

and so argued God k n ows that it is worthy o f all abhor
,

rence bu t the weightie st argument against it is the foul

indignity which is off ered to ou r com m on nature l pplg e d in
o f h im o n who m it is inic t ed H
r

t h e per e
_
g u is nature is
.

o u r nature and suppo sing it po ssible that h e were so far

,

d eg ed as to be un susceptible o f any inuences but tho se

which address h im through the brutal par t o f h is nature
yet f o r the sak e o f ourselvesno ! no t merely for ourselves
,

o r f o r the human race now exi sting but for the sake o f
,

lg m a n natur e which tran scends all exis ting participa tor s

w
,

a t g
g e w e s hould remember t ha t the evil o f
corporal puni shmen t is n o t t o be measured by the poor
tran sitory criminal who se memory a n d o ff ence are soon t o
,

peri sh ; the se in t he su m o f things are a s no thing ; t he

, ,

inj ury which can be d one h im and t he injury which he can

,

do ha v e so mo m en t ary an exi stence that they m a y be safely

,

neglec t ed ; b u t t he a lB W W O S t augu s t

intere st which for t he mind o f m a n can ha v e a ny exi st

'

g a l V iz -
t 6 h is o w n n a t u re
,
t o rai se and dignify which ,

I a m pe rsudrl d m rsb l a s t and holie s t co m mand

1 5
2 N O TE S O F A L A TE OPI UM
EA TE R .

:
which the con science i m poses o n t he philo sophic mo rali s t }
I n coun t ries where the traveller has the pain of seein g
,

human crea t ures perform ing th e labours o f b ru t e s rsurely ,

the sorrow which the spectacle moves if a wi se sorrow will , ,

n o t be chiey direc t e d to the poor degraded individual

t o o deeply degraded probably to be s en sible o f h is o wn

, ,

degradation but to the reec t ion t hat man s nature is thus
,

exhibited in a state o f mi serable abasement ; and what is ,

wors t; o f all aba s ement proceeding from m a n h m

i sel f N E

,
,

whenever thi s vih wof BE rpd ra pf shm e n t E co m e s gen eral

n uence o f
( a s inevitably it will under the i ,
advancing
civi l i sation ) I sa y tha t Donn e s principle will then become
, ,

applicable to t hi s ca se and it will b e t h e du ty o f a man to

,

die rather than to su ff er h is own na t ure to be di shonoured M W

.
M

in t h a t vgay But sol ong a s a man is n gt f ull y s ensible o f

w
.
_ _

wh ich a cco unt I a m t h e m o re struck b y t h e igno b l e a rg um e nt

On ,

o f t h o se sta t e sm e n wh o h a v e c o n t e n d e d in t h e Ho use o f C o m m o n s t h a t

suc h a n d suc h cl as se s o f m e n i n t h is n a ti o n a re n o t a cc essib l e t o a n y

l o f tier inuence s Suppo sing th a t th ere were a ny truth in th is asser

.

t i o n wh ich is a l ib e l no t o n th i s n a ti o n o n l y b ut o n m a n i n g e ne ra l
, , ,

sure l y i t is t h e d ut y o f l awg ivers n o t t o p erp e tua t e b y th e ir i n stit uti o n s

t h e e vi l wh ic h t h e y n d b ut t o p re s um e a nd gra d ua ll y t o cre a te a
,

b e tter sp irit .

1 O f wh i ch d egra d a tio n l e t it n e v e r b e f o rg o tten th a t Fra n ce b ut

,

th irt y y ea rs a go pre se nte d a s sh o ck ing ca ses a s a ny co u ntry e ve n wh ere ,

sl a v ery is t o l e ra t e d An e ye witn e ss t o t h e f a ct wh o h a s si n ce pub

.
-
,

l i sh d it in prin t t o ld m e th a t in Fra n ce b e f o re t h e Re v o l utio n h e

e , , , ,

h a d re p e a te dl y se e n a wo m a n y o k e d wi th a n a ss t o t h e pl o ugh ; a n d
t h e b rut a l pl o ugh m a n a ppl y i ng h is wh i p in d i ff e re n t l y t o e i th er .

E ngl ish p e o pl e t o wh o m I h a ve o cca si o na ll y m e n ti o n e d th is a s a n

,

e xp o n e n t o f t h e h o ll o w re n e m e nt o f m a nn ers in Fra nc e h a v e uni ,

f o rm l y excl a i m e d T ha t is m o re th a n I ca n b el ie ve a n d h a v e ta k e n

it f o r gra n te d th a t I h a d m y in f o rm atio n f ro m so m e prej ud ice d E ngl ish

m an . But wh o wa s m y i n fo rm er ?A Fre n c h m a n re a d er M , , .

Sim o n d ; a n d t h o ugh n o w b y a d o p tio n a n Am e rica n citiz e n ye t still ,

Fre nch in his h ea rt a nd in a l l h is prej ud ice s .

I 54 N O TE S O F A L A TE OPI UM E A TE R
-
.

catastrophe and ga ve evidence which vindicated t he

,

character o f the horse The day had be e n very windy ;

.

and the young cr e ature being in high spirit s and caring , ,

evidently a s little for t he corn que stion as for th e bullion

que stion had raced about in all directions ; and at length
, ,

descendin g t o o st eep a part o f the el d had been unable to ,

check hi m self and wa s proj ect e d by th e impe tus o f h is o wn

,

descen t lik e a batte rin g ram against th e wall .

Of hu m an suicides th e mo st aff ectin g I hav e e ver seen

,

recorded is o ne which I m e t with in a Ger m an book t his

I sh a ll repeat a little furt h e r o n ; t h e mo st calm and
deliberate is the follo wing which is sa id to have occurred
,

at Ke s wick in C umberland ; but I mu st acknowledge

, ,

that I never had an opportunity whilst stayin g at Keswick , ,

of verifying the state m ent A young m a n o f studious

.
,

turn who is said to have resided n e ar Penrith w a s anxious

, ,

to quali f y hi m self for entering the church or for any other ,

m ode o f life which might secure t o him a rea sonable por

t ion o f literary leisure His family however t houg h t that
.
, ,

un der the circum st ances o f his situation he would have a

better chance for succe ss in life a s a trade sm an and t hey
took th e necessary step s for placing him as an appren tice

at some shopkeeper s in Penrith This he looked upon a s a n.

indignity to which he w a s determined in no case to submit

, .

An d accordingly when he had a s cer t ained t hat all oppo si

,

tion to the choice o f h is friend s w a s u seles s he walked ,

o v er to the moun t ainous di strict o f Ke swick (about

s ix t een miles di st an t)
looked abou t h im in order to
select h is ground coolly walked up L a t t rig (a dependency

o f S kiddaw ) m ade a pillow o f s od s laid him s elf down wi t h

h is face looking up to t he s ky a n d in that posture he wa s
found dead with t h e appearanc e o f having died t ranquilly
,
.
 HI S T O RI CO C R I T I C A L I N Q U I RY
-

I NT O T HE O RI G I N O F T HE

R O S I C R U C I AN S A N D T H E FR E E MA S O N S .

H E RE is a large body o f outstan ding probl e m s in

hi story great and little som e relating to persons
, , ,

s ome to things some to u sage s some to words

, , ,

etc which furni sh occa sion b eyond any o t her

.
, ,

form o f historical re searche s for the di splay of exten sive ,

readin g and cri t ical acumen I I n reference to perso ns . .

,

as tho se which regard w h ole na t ion se g What beca m e

?
.

o f th e t e n trib e s o f Israel Did Bre n n u s and h is Gaul s

penetrate into Greece ?
Who and what are the Gip sies
o r tho s e far more in nu m ber
,
which regard indi v idual s ; ,

as the ca se o f the Knight s Tem plar s o f Mary S tuart o f

the R uthven s (the Gowrie C on spiracy ) W h o w a s t he
?
.

m an in the I ron Ma sk W a s the unhappy Lady o f the

Hay stack who in o u r o wn day s slep t o ut o f doors or in
,

b a rn s up and down S omerset shire a d aughter o f t he

?
,

E m peror o f Germany Was Perkin Warbeck t hree

centurie s ago the t rue Plantagene t *
2 I n reference ? .

hr
T e e ca n be no d ub t th
o a t h e wa s . B ut
I m e ntio n it as a

qu ti o n wh ich
es m os t p pl upp
eo e s o se to be ye t su b ju d ice .
1 56 R OS I CR UCI A N S A N D FR EE MA S ON S .

to t hings a sW h o r st discovered the sources o f the

N ile ?
Who built S t onehenge W h o discovered the ?
co m pass ?
W hat was t h e Golden Fl e ece Was the S iege ?
o f Troy a ro m ance o r a grave historic fact
, Was the ?
Iliad the work o f o ne mind o r (on th e W o l an hypo t hesis)
?
,

of many What is to be thought o f the Thundering

?
Legion o f the m iraculous di spersion of the E m peror
Julian s labourers before J e rusalem o f the burning o f t h e

?
A lexandrian Library etc Who wrote the E ixd w Ba a Mun } ?
?
-
.
,

W h o wrote the Let t ers o f Junius W a s t he Fluxional

C alculus discovered si m ultaneously by Leibnitz and N ewton ?
o r did Leibnitz derive the rst hi n t o f it from the letter of

N ewton ?
3 In reference to u sa g es ; as the Ma y pole
.
-

and Ma y day dances the Morris d anc e rs the prac t ice

-

( not yet extinct among )

st uneducated people of s aying God
ble ss yo u o n hearing a person sneeze and thousands o f ,

o thers 4 In reference to wo r ds ; as whence cam e the

?
. .

m y st erious L a ba ru m o f C on stantine etc A mong the .

problem s o f t h e rs t cla ss there are n o t many more ,

irritating to the curiosity than that which concerns the

w e ll known order of Free m a sons In o u r own language
-
.

I am n o t aware of any work which has treated this ques

t ion wi t h much learning I have therefore abstracted .
,

rearranged and in so m e re spects I shall not scruple to sa y

,

have i m proved the German work o n this subj ect o f ,

Profe ssor J G Buhle Thi s work is an expansion of a

. . .

Latin Di sserta t ion read by the Professor in th e year 1 8 0 3

to the Philo sophical S ociety o f G ottingen ; and in re spect ,

t o the par ticular sort o f merit looked for in a work o f

t hi s kind h a s (I believe ) satised the mo st com pe t ent
,

j udge s C o m ing af t er a crowd o f other learned work s on

.

t he R osicrucian s and t ho se o f Les sing and N icolai o n t he

,

Free m ason s it could no t well fail to embody what was

,
I 58 R OS I CR UCI A N S A N D FR EEMA S ON S .

understand that he owe s to me Mr Buhle is celebrated . .

as the hi storian o f philo sophy and as a logic profe ssor at a

,
-

great Germ an U niversi ty But a m ore illogical work than

.

his as t o the conduc t o f the que stion or o n e m ore confused ,

in its arrangement I have no t often seen I t is doubtle ss

, .

a rare thing to m eet wi t h min d s su fciently stern in their

logic to keep a que st ion steadily and i m m ovably before
t he m without e v er bei n g thrown o u t o f their t rack by
,

verbal delu sions : and for m y o w n part I m u st sa y that I

nev e r w a s pre sent in m y li f e at o n e o f those after dinner -

di sputations by which social plea sure is poisoned (except in

the higher and m ore re ned cla sse s) where the cours e o f ,

argument did not within ten minutes quit the question upon
which i t had rs t s t ar t ed and all upon the seduction o f
s ome equivocal word o r o f so m e the m e which bore a f n ity
,

to the m ain the m e but was no t that m ain the m e itself o r

, ,

still oftener of some purely verbal t ran si t ion A l l this is .

com m on : but the eternal se e sawing weaving and counter

-

wea v ing ux and reux o f Profe ssor Bu h l e s course o f

, ,

argu m ent is n o t co m mon by any means but very u n co m ,

m o n and wor thy of a place in any cabinet o f natural

,

curio sities There is an everlas t ing confusion in the

.

worthy man s m ind between the t wo question sWhat is

?
the o rig in o f Freema sonry and what is the n a t ur e and
e ssen ce o f Freem asonry ?
The consequence is that o n e idea
alway s exciting t he o ther they constantly com e o u t shoulder
,

ing and elbowing each other for precedency every sentence

is charged with a d ouble com m is sion t he Profe ssor ge t s
angry with him self begins to splu tt er uni ntelligibly and
, ,

nd s o n looking round h im that he has w heeled abou t t o a

point o f t h e argument con siderably in t he rear o f t ha t
which he had reached perhap s 1 50 pages before I have .

done what I could to remedy th e se in rm it ie s o f t he h ook

 R O S I CR U CI A I V S A N D FR EEMA S ON S . 1 5
9

and upon the whole it is a good deal le ss paralytic t han i t

wa s .But ha v ing begun m y ta sk o n t he a ssu m p t ion t hat
,

t he rst chapter should na t urally co m e before the second ,

the second before t he third and so o n I nd now (when ,

the mi s chief is irreparable) tha t I m ade a grea t mistake in

that a ssu m p tion which perhap s is no t applicable to G et t in
,

gen book s and that if I had read the book on t he Hebrew

principleo r Bo vo rpO t q 86vo r had t acked and t ra v ersed
,

-
r

-
o r done any t hing but sail in a straight line I could no t ,

have failed to i m pro v e the arrangement of my material s .

But af t er all I have so whitewa shed the Profe ssor t hat

, , ,

nothing but a life o f gratitude o n his par t and free ,

ad m i ssion to h is logic lecture s for e v er can po ssibly repay ,

me for my ser v ice s .

The three mo s t triu m phant di sser t a t ion s exi sting upon

the cla ss of h ist o rico cri t ical problems which I have de scribed
-

above are l Ben tley s upon the spuriou s E pi stles a scribed

.

to Phalari s ; 2 Malcol m Laing s upon Perkin Warbeck

.

shed by Dr Henry in h is H is t of Gr e a t Br i t a in
(publi .
) 3 . .

Mr Taylor s u pon the Letters o f Juniu s A l l three are

.

.

loaded with a superfetation of e v idence and conclu sive ,

beyond what the mind al t oge t her wi she s Fo r it is pleasant .

t o have the gra v er part o f one s under st anding sa t i sed and ,

yet to have i t s capricious part lef t in po sse ssion of some

m is erable fragmen t of a s crupl e upon which i t m a y indu l ge
its elf with an occa sional specula t ion in support o f the o ld
error In fac t coercion is not plea sant in any ca se s ; and
.
,

t hou gh reason s h e a s plenty as blackberrie s o n e wo uld n o t ,

ei ther gi v e o r belie v e the m o n co m pul sion In the presen t .

work t he rea d er w ill perhaps n o t nd him self under t hi s u n

plea sant sen se o f coercion but lef t m ore t o t he free exerci se ,

o f h is own j udgment Yet upon the whole I t hink he will

.

give h is nal award in behalf o f Bu hl e s hypo t h e si s

.
l 6o R O S I CR U CI A N S A N D FREEMA S N S O .

C H APT E R I .

OF TH E ESSE N TI A L C H A RA CTERISTICS O F T H E O R DERS OF

T H E R O SIC R UCI A N S AN D T H E F REEM A S O N S .

I DEEM it an indi spensable condition of any inve stigation

in t o the or i gin o f the R o sicrucians and Freem asons that
both orders should be surveyed comprehensively and in the
whole compa ss o f their relation s and characte ristic marks ;
not with reference to this o r that mytho s symbol u sage , , ,

o r form and t o the neglect o f this condi t ion I b e lieve we

, ,

must impute t h e u nsucce ssful issue which h a s hitherto

a tt ended the essays o n th e subj ect First of all therefore
.
, ,

I will assign those di st inguishing feature s o f t hese orders

which appear to m e univer sal and e ssential ; and the se I
shall divid e in t o i nt ern a l and ex tern a l accordingly a s they
re sp e ct t he personal rela tion s and the purpo ses o f t heir
m e m bers o r simply th e outward for m o f t he in s t itu t ions
,
.

The uni v ers al and e ssential charac t eri stics o f the two
orders which come under t he head o f i nt erna l are the se
, ,

which follow
I As their fundamental maxim they a ssume E n t ire
.

e q u a li t y of perso na l r igh ts a m o ng st t he ir m em bers i n re la t io n

to th eir n a l o bj e ct. Al l di stinctions o f social rank are

annihilated In th e character o f masons th e prince and the
.

lowe st citizen behave reciprocally as fr e e menstanding

to each other in no relation o f civic in e quality This is a .

feature o f masonry in which it re sembl e s th e church

proj ecting itself like t h a t from th e body of the state ; and
, ,

in id ea opposing itself to the state though not in fact for

, ,

o n the contrary the ties o f s ocial obligation are streng t hened

,

and sanctioned by the maso n ic doctrine s I t is true that.

1 62 R OS I CR UCI AN S A N D FREEMAS O N S .

di stinguish that unhappy se x wer e obviously in compatibl e

,

with the grave purpo ses o f the R osicrucians and Masons .

N ot to mention that the fam iliar inte rcourse which cc ,

mem bership in thes e societies brings along with it would ,

probably ha ve led to so m e disorders in a pro m iscuous

asse m blage of both sexes such as might have tainted the
,

good fame or even threatened the e xiste nce o f the order .

More remarkable is the exclusion o f perso ns not who lly

f re e,
o f Je ws and o,
f A n t i C h rist ia ns and
-
ind ee d it , ,

throws an i m portant light upon the origin and character

o f t he institutions By p erso ns n o t f ree we are t o under
.

stand not merely slave s a n d vassals but also those who

,

were in the ser vic e o f othersand gen e rally all wh o had

n o t an independ e nt livelihood E ven freeborn persons are
.

comprehended in this de signation so long as they continued ,

in t he state of minority Mason ry pre sum e s in all its

.

members the devotion o f th e ir knowl edge and powers to

the obj ects of the institution N o w what services could .
,

b e rendered by vassal s menial servants day labourers

, ,
-
,

j ourneymen with th e limited mea n s at their d iSpo sa l as to

,

wealth o r knowledge and in t heir stat e o f depende n cy

?
,

u pon other s Be sides with the prejudice s o f birth and

,

rank prevalent in that a ge any ad m i ssion o f plebeian m e m

,

bers would hav e immediately ruined the schem e Indeed .

,

we have great reason to wonder t ha t an idea so bold for

those ti m e s as the union o f nobles and burghers under a
law o f perfect equ al ity could ever have been reali sed .

An d in fact among any other people than the E ngli sh

, , ,

w i t h their n ational habit s o f thi nk in g a n d other favourable

,

circumstances it could n o t have been realised

, Min o rs .

were rejected unle ss wh e n the conse nt o f their guardians

was obtain e d ; for otherwi se th e order would have exposed
itself to th e suspicion of tampering with young people in
 O
R SI CR UCI AN S A N D FREEMA S ON S . 1 63

an illegal way : to say nothing of th e want of fre e agency -

in minors That lay brothers w e re admitted for th e per

.
-

f o rm a n ce o f servil e o i ce s is not to b e tak e n as any

departure from the ge n e ra l rul e ; for it was matter o f
n ecessity that per sons o f lower ra n k should ll th e menial

of ces attached t o th e so ciety ; and th es e p erso ns be it ,

obs erve d w e re al ways chosen fro m a m ongst those wh o

,

had an in dep e ndent prop e rty however s m all A s to the

, .

exclusion o f Anti C hri stians e specially of Jews this may

-
, ,

seem at rst sight incon sistent with th e co smo political -

tendency o f Masonry Bu t had it that tend e ncy at its

?
.

rst e stablishment Be this as it may w e n e ed n o t be

,

surprised at such a regulation in a n age so little impre ssed

with th e virtu e o f toleration a n d indeed so little able
,

from political circumstancesto practi se it Be sid e s it was

.
,

nece ssary for their own security ; the Fr e emason s them

selv e s were e xpo sed to a suspicion of atheism and sorcery
and this suspicion would hav e be e n conrmed by the indis
criminat e a d m ission of p e rsons hostile to C hris tiani t y .

Fo r the J e ws in particular there was a further reason for

,

rejecting them founded on the d e ep degradation o f the

,

national charact e r With resp ect to the R oma n C atholics

.
,

I need not at this point anticipate the hi storic data which

favour their exclusion The fact is certain ; but I add
.
, ,

only for the earlier periods o f Free m a sonry Further o n

.
,

the cos m o political constitution o f the order had cleared

-

it o f all such religiou s tes t s ; and at thi s day I believe , ,

t hat in t h e lodges of London and Paris th e r e would be no

he sita t ion in receiving as a bro t her any u pright Moham
m e dan o r Jew .E v e n in smaller cities wher e lingering
,

prej udices would still cleave with more bigotry to the old
e xclusions greater stre ss is laid upon the natural religion
,

of the candidat e his belief in God and his sen se o f moral

1 64 R O S I CR U CI AN S A N D FREEMA S ON S .

obligation than upon his positive confession o f faith In .

saying this however I would not be understood to speak

, ,

o f certain individual sects amo n g the R o sicrucians who se ,

mystici sm lea d s them to demand S pecial religiou s quali t ie s

in their pro selytes which are di sp e ns e d with by com mon
Free m asonry .

III T he o rd ers m a ke pretensio ns to m ysteries ; the se

.

relate partly to e nds and partly to means ; and are derived

,

from t he E a st whence they profess to derive an occult

,

wi sdom n o t rev e aled to t he profane This striving after .

hidden knowledge it was that specia lly di stinguished the se

, ,

societies from others that pursued u n known obj ects A n d .

because their main obj ect was a mystery and that it might ,

remain such an oath o f s e crecy was de m and e d o f every

,

member o n his admission N othing o f this mystery could .

ever b e discovered by a vi sit from the police : for when

such an even t happens and na t urally it has happened many
,

ti m e s the busine ss is at end and the lodge ipso f a cto

,

dissolved : be sides that all the acts o f th e m embers are

,

symbolic and unintelligible to all but the initiated Mean

, .

time n o gov e rnment can co m p l ain o f thi s exclusion fro m

the mysteries : a s eve ry governor has it at his o wn option
to make hi m self fully acquain t ed with them by procuring
his o wn adoption into the society This it is which in mo st .

countrie s has gradually reconciled the supre m e authori t ie s

to Masonic S ocietie s hard as th e per secu tion was which
,

they experienced at rst Princes a n d prela t e s made t hem

.

selves brothers o f th e order a s the condi t ion o f ad m i ssion

to th e mysteries An d think what they would o f these
.
,

mysteries in other re spects they found no t hing in them ,

which could u st if y any ho stili t y o n the part o f the state .

I n an e xamination o f Ma sonic and R osicr ucian S ocie ties

th e w e ightiest qu e stion is that which r egards the nature o f
I 66 R OS I CR UCI AN S A N D FR EEMA S ON S .

pu b lic p r of f essi o n not

o ben ec en ce
t o the brothers only ,

though o f course to the m m ore e specially but al so to ,

strangers An d it cannot be denied by those who are

.

least favourably dispo sed t o th e order o f Free m asons that

many states in E urope where lodges have for m e rly e xisted
,

o r do still exist are indebted to t hem for the original

,

e stabli sh m ent o f many salutary in stitutions having for ,

their obj ect the mitigation o f human suff ering The o ther .

external characteristics are properly negative and are ,

thes e
I Ma so n ry is co m pa tible with every f o rm
. civi l co n

st i t u t io n which co sm o political relation o f the order to

-

every mode and form o f social arran gements has secured the
possibility o f its reception a m ongst all nations however ,

widely separated in pol icy and laws .

I I I t d o es no t imp o se ce liba cy a n d this is th e criterion

.

that distinguish e s it from th e r eligious orders and from ,

many o f th e old knigh tly orders in which celibacy wa s an

indi spens abl e law o r s t ill is so , .

III I t enjo ins n o p ecu lia r d ress (except indeed in the

.
, ,

o fcial a ssemblage s o f the lodge s f o r the purpose o f m ark ,

ing t he diff erent degree s) n o m a rks of d istin ct io n in t he

,

o rd in a ry co m m erce of l if e a n d n o a bst in en ce f ro m civil o ces

a n d b u sin ess Here again is a remarkable distinction from

.

the religious and knightly orders .

I V I t g ra n ts t o eve ry m em ber a f u l l lib erty t o d isso lve his

.

co n n ect i o n w i t h t he o rd er a t a n y t im e, a nd w i th o u t e ven a c

q ua in t ing t he f superio rs o
t hough o f courth e
s e he lo dg e ;
can
n o t rel e ase hi m self from the obligation of h is vow of s ecrecy .

N ay even af t er many years o f voluntary separation from

,

the order a return t o it is always allowed In the reli

,
.

g io u s and knightly orders the m e mbers have not

,
the
powers exc e pting und er certain circum stances o f l e aving
, ,
 RO S I CR UCI AN S AN D FRE E AI AS O N S . 1 67

them ; and under n o circu m st ances o f returning This

, , .

la st w a s a politic regulation : for w hil st o n o n e hand

,

t he society was su fcien tly secured by the oa t h of secrecy ,

o n the other hand by the ea sine ss of the yoke which it

i m posed it could the more readily a ttract me m bers A

, .

young man might enter the order sati sfy himself a s to the
advantages that were to be expected fro m it ; and leave it
u pon further experience or any r e volution in h is o wn way

o f thinking .

In thus as signing the internal and external characteri stics

o f the R osicrucian s and Free m a son s I have purposely said
,

nothing of the di st inction s bet ween the two orders them

selves : for this would have presupposed that hi storical
inquiry which is now to follow That the above character
.

ist ics howe v er were co m m on to bo t h is not to be doubted

, , ,
.

R o sicruciani sm it is true is not Free m asonry : bu t t he

, ,

latt e r borro w ed its form fro m the rst He that gi v e s

.

hi m self o u t for a R o sicrucian without knowing the general

,

ritual o f ma sonry is unque stionably a n i m postor S o m e

, .

peculiar sects there are which adopt cert ain follie s and
chimeras o f the R o sicrucians (as gold m aking) ; and t o
-

the se h e may belong ; but a legitimate R osicrucian in the ,

original sen se and S pirit o f the order he cannot be

,
.
1 68 O
R S I CR UCI A N S A N D FRE E I MA S O N S .

C H APTE R I I .

U PO N T H E EA RLI EST H IST O RIC A L TRA CES OF T H E R O SIC R UCI A N

A N D M AS O N IC O RDERS .

TH E accredited record s of t he se orders do not ascend beyond

the la st t wo centuries O n t he other hand it is alleged by
.
,

many t hat they have exi sted for eighteen hundred years .

He who adopts this la tter hypothe sis which even a s an

hypothesis seems to me scarcely endurable for a moment is ,

bound to sho w in the rst place in what re spect the d e d u c

, ,

tion o f the se order s from modern hi st ory is at all u n sa t is

factory ; and secondly upon his o wn a ssu m ption o f a far
,

elder origin to explain h o w i t happened that for six t een

,

entire centuries no writers conte m porary wi t h the di ff eren t

period s of the se orders have made any allu sion t o t he m .

If he replies by alleging the secrecy of their proceedings I ,

rej oin that this might have secured their doctrines and
my steries from being divulged but no t the mer e fact o f their
,

e xistenc e My view o f their origin will perhap s be gran t ed

.

with rel a tion to We stern E urope but I shall be referred to

t h e E ast for t he in cu n a bu la o f the order At o n e t im e .

Greece at ano ther E gypt o r di ff erent countries of A sia

, , ,

are alleged a s th e cradle o f t he R o sicrucian s and the

Freem a sons Let u s take a cur sory sur v ey of the several
.

hypothe se s .

I In the earlier record s of G REECE we meet wi t h no t hi n

.
g

w hich bears any rese m blance t o the se in stitution s bu t the

O rphic and E leu sinian m y steries Here howe v er t h e
.
, ,

word m yst er ies i m plied not any occult proble m or science

 l 7o O
R S I CR UCI AN S A N D FREEMA S ON S .

ne v er have i m posed upon any p e rson who had examined

them by the light o f such knowledge as we still posse ss of
th e anci e nt E gyptian history and religion : indeed the ,

gross syncr e tis m in these writings o f E gyptian doctrines

with those o f th e later Platonist s too manifestly b e trays
th e m as a forgery from the schools o f Al exandria Forgery .

apart how e ver th e sub stanc e o f the Hermetic writings dis

, ,

connect s them wholly from masonic obj ects : it consi sts of a

romantic Theology and Theurgy ; and the whole is very
intelligibl e and far from my sterious W hat is t rue o f
, .

the se Herm e tic books is true a f o rt io ri o f all later writings

,

that profe ss to d e liver the traditional wisdom o f anci e nt

E gypt .

3 If we look to ancient C H A LDE A and P ERSI A for the

.

origin o f these orders we shall be as much disappointed ,

.

Th e vaunt e d knowledge of the C hald aeans ext e nd e d only to

A strology th e inte rpr e tation o f dream s and th e common
, ,

arts of j ugglers As to the Persian Magi as w e ll b e fore as

.
,

af t e r the introduction o f th e doctrine o f Z oroaster they ,

were simply the d e positaries of religious ideas and tradi

tions and the organs of the public worship Moreover
, .
,

t hey composed no s e cr e t ord e r : but rather constituted the

high e st ca st e o r ra n k in the n ation and w e re recogni sed by ,

th e governm e nt as an essential part o f th e body politic In .

s ucce e ding age s the religion o f the Magi passed over to

many great nations and has supported itself up to o u r days

,
.

An q u e t il d u Perron has collecte d and published the holy

im m o rta li ta tis a nim o ru m sym b o l o A egyp tio in t h e 9 t h vo l . o f t he

G o tti ng en Tra nsa ctio ns . Th e p th p d b y G t t
a o ene a e re r h a s b e en i c
s n e

pu ue d with succ e ss b y Do rne d d e n in h is Am enop h is a n d in h is n e w

rs

the o ry f o r t h e expl a n a ti o n o f t h e G re ci a n My t h o l o g y ; 1 8 0 2 Co nsul t .

a so V o g e l s E ssa y o n t h e Re l i gi o n o f t h e Anci e nt E g y p t ia ns a nd t h e
l

Greek s 4 t o N ure m b erg ; 1 7 93

. . .
 R O S I CR U CI A N S A N D FR EE MA S ON S . 17 1

books in which it is contained But no doctrine of t h e

.

Z e n d a v e st a is presented as a mystery ; nor could any o f

those doctrin e s from their very nature have been pre sented
, ,

as such . U n doubte dly among th e R o sicrucian title s o f

honour we nd that o f Magus : but wi t h t hem it simply
de signat e s a man o f rare knowledge in physics e spe
cia ll
y in A lche m y That th
. e ancie n t Magi in the age
immediately before and after the birth o f C hrist atte m pted ,

the transmutation o f metals is highly im probable : that

,

idea there is rea son to b e lieve r

,
st began to inuence th e
,

course o f chemical pursui t s a m ongst th e Arabian students

of natural philosophy and m edicine .

4 The pretensions o f the DERV IS H ES and BRAH MI N S of

.

A sia especially of Hindos t an to be the fa t hers o f t he

, ,

two orders n ee d no examination a s they a re still more

, ,

groundless than those which have been j ust noticed .

5 A littl e before and after the birth o f C hri st ther e aros e

.

in E gypt and Pales t ine a Jewi sh religious sect which S plit ,

into two divi sionsthe E SSE N ES and the T H E RA PE U TE .

Their histo ry and an account of their principl e s may be

found in Josephus and more fully in Philo who probably
, ,

hi m self belonged t o the Therapeut ae The diff erence

between the two sects consist e d in thisthat the E ssenes
.

looked upon practical morality and religion as the m ain

bu sin e ss o f life wh e re as the Therap e ut ae attached the m
,

selves more to philosophic sp e cula t ions a nd placed t he ,

es sence o f religion in the conte m plation and rever ence o f

the dei t y They dwelt in hermi t ages gardens village s and
.
, , ,

co tt age s shunning t he uproar o f crowds and citie s Wi t h

,
.

them arose the idea of monki sh life which has subsisted t o,

this day though it has received a mortal shock in o ur

,

revolutionary times To th e se two syste ms have been

.

traced the R o sicrucians and Freema sons N o w without .

,
1 72 O
R S I CR UCI A N S A N D FR EEMA S ON S .

ente ri n g minutely into their hi story i t is s ufcient for the ,

o v erthrow of such an hypothe si s to cite t he f ollowing prin

c ipl e s co m m on to both t he E s s ene s and the Therapeut ae .

First they rej ec t ed as morally unlawful all di st inction o f

,

rank s in civil society S econdly they made no my stery of

.
,

their doctrines Thirdly they admitted t o t heir co m

.
,

munion p er sons o f either se x Four t hly though not

.
,

perem ptorily enjoini n g celibacy they held it to be a m ore

,

holy state than that of marriage Fifthly t hey di sallowed .

,

of oaths S ix t hly they had nothing sy m bolic in t heir

.
,

worship o r ritual If i t should be obj ected t hat the Free

.

masons talk m uch o f the rebuilding o f S olomon s Te m ple

,

and refer s o m e o f their legends to t hi s speculation I ,

an swer that t h e E s senes and Therapeut ae either were

C hri stians o r continued Jew s until by lit t le and little t heir
,

s ects expired N o w to the C hri stian s the rebuil d ing o f the

.

Te m ple mu st have been an obj ect of perfect indi ff erence ;

and t o t he Jews it must have been an important obj ect in
the literal sen se But with the Freema son s it is a mere
.

gure under which is repres e nted t he secret purpose o f t he

society ; why thi s image was selected will b e sati sfactorily
accoun t ed for further on .

6 The A R A BS who st ep forth upon th e s t age of hi story

.
,

in t he se v en t h century after C hrist have a s little concern ,

wi t h the origin o f the se orders They were originally a .

no m adic people t ha t rapidly became a conquering na t ion

not less from the weakness o f t heir neighbours t han t heir
o w n courage and religiou s fanatici sm They advanced no t .

le ss rapidly in their in t ellectual conque st s ; and these t hey

owed chiey to their Grecian m a st er s who had t he m selve s ,

a t that tim e grea tly degenerated from t he rene m en t o f

their ance stors The sciences in which the Arab s m ade
.

original d i scoveri e s and in which next after the Greek s

, , ,
 : 74 R O S I CR U CI A N S AN D FR EEMA S ON S .

w hat I willingly conc e de : Alch e mists C abbalists and , ,

deal e rs in the Black Art th e r e wer e unqu e stionably before ,

the sev e nteen t h century ; bu t n o t Ro sicr u cia ns a n d Free

m a so ns co nn ect ed i n to a s ecre t s o ciety a nd dist ing u ish e d
by tho se cha ra ct erist i cs which I ha ve a ssign ed i n t he rst

ch a p t er.

O ne fact has b e en allege d from E ccl e siastical Hi story

as pointing to th e order o f Rosicrucian s In 1 58 6 the .

Mi li tia cru cif era eva ng elica as sembled at Lun e nburg : th e

persons compo sing this body have b een r e pr e s e nt e d as R osi
crucians ; but in fact they were nothin g more than a
Protestant sect h e at e d by apocalyptic dreams ; and th e
obj ect of the ass e mblag e app e ars to have be e n exclusively
connected with r e ligion O u r chief knowledg e o f it is .

derived from the work o f S imon S t u d io n a mystic and ,

Th e osophist entitled N a o m etri a and written about the

, ,

year 1 6 0 4 The author was born at U rach a little town

.
,

o f W irt e m b e rg ; in 1 56 5h e r e ceiv e d the degre e o f Master

of A rt s at T ubingen ; and soon aft e r settled at Marbach ,

not far fro m L o u isb e rg in the capacity o f teach e r His , .

labours in Alchemy brought h im into great embarrassment ;

and his heretical novelties into all kind s o f troubl e H is .

N a o m e t ria *
which is a ti ssue o f dr e ams and all egories
,

rela t ing to the cardinal e vent s of th e world and to the mys

t e rie s o f S cripture as well a s of ext e rn a l nature from it s
,

Th e f u ll tit l e oft h is un p ri nte d a nd curio us b o o k is th is :

N AO ME TR I A se u nud a e t pri m a l ib ri i n tus e t f o ris script i per

, , ,

cl a ve m Da vidis e t ca l a m u m (v irg es sim il e m ) a pe rt io in q u o n o n t a n

t um a d co g no sce n d a t a m S S cri p tures t o t ius qua m n a t urm qu o que
.
,

un ive rses m yst eria b revi s t int ro d uct io v erum e tia m Pro gno st icu s
, ,

( s t e l l ee i ll i ns m a t ut i n as A n,
n o Do m in i 1 57 2 co n spe ct ae d u e tu
, ) d em o n

s t ra t ur Ad ve n t u s ill e C h risti a n te d i e m n o vissim u m se cun d us

p e r q u e m h o m i ne p e c ca t i (Pa ptt ) cum l io su o pe rd it io n is ( Ma h o

m e t o ) d ivinit us d e v a st a to i p se e ccl e sia m sua m e t principa t us m un d i

,
 O
R S I CR UCI A N S A N D FREEMA S ON S . 17 5

creation to its i m p e nding destruction contain s a great deal ,

o f mysticism and prophecy abou t the rose and the cros s .

But t he whole has a religious meanin g and t h e f u n d u s o f

h is ideas and h is imagery is manifestly t he Apo ca lyse of S t .

John N o r is there any pa ssage o r phrase in his work upon

.

which an argumen t can be built for conn e cting him wi t h

the R osicrucian s w hich would not equally apply to Philo
the A lexandrian to John Picus of Mira n d ul a to R euchlin
, , ,

t o George o f V enice to Francis Patrick and to all other

, ,

C abbalis t s Theosophist s Magicians and A lche m i sts

, , , .

O f the alleged connection between the Te m plars and the

Rosicrucians o r more properly w ith the Freemasons
, ,

which connection if es t abli shed would undoubtedly assign

a much earlier date to the origin o f both orders
, ,

I shall ,

have oc ca sion to sp e ak in a n other par t o f my inquiry .

rest a ura b it , u t in iis po st h a c sit cum o vi i a sto r unus I n crucif ercel p .

m il itas E va ngelism gra t ia m Aut h o re Sim o ne Stu i o u s i nter Sco r

. d
pi o n e s. Ann o An a no n y m o us write ricrucia n s in on t h e Ro s
t h e Wirt e m b erg Ma g a zi n e (N o 3 p 5 2 3) a n d t h e l ea rn e d V o n Murr
.
, .

in h is tre a tise up o n t h e tru e o rigin o f t h e Ro sicrucia ns a n d Free m aso ns ,

prin te d a t Sa lz b ach in t h e y ear 1 8 0 3 h a ve co n f o und e d t h e word,

N e o m e t ria temp l e m ea su ring wi th N e o m e t ria (N u p )

-
, eo er ca

N ew a rt of m ea su ring a s th o ugh St ud io n h a d writte n a n e w g e o m e try

, .

B y t h e Te m pl e in ner an d o uter S t ud io n m ea n s t h e Ho l y Scri pture s

a nd N a ture t h e l i b er i n tus e t f o ris scri p t us o f wh ic h S t J o h n sa y s
, ,

.
,

in t h e Re ve l a tio n s I sa w o n t h e righ t o f h im wh o sa t o n t h e t h ro ne
a b o o k writt e n with in a n d wit h o ut a nd gua rd e d wit h se ve n sea l s

, etc , .
I 76 O
R S I C R UCI A N S A N D FREEMA S ON S .

C H A PT E R III .

OF T H E CIRCUMST A CES W H IC H GAV E T H E F I R ST O CCA SI O N

N

T O T H E R ISE O F T H E R O SICRUCI A N O RDE R AN D O F T H E ,

E A RLI EST A UT H E N TIC R EC O RDS O F H IST O R Y WH IC H R E LA TE

T O IT .

T O WA R DS the end o f the sixteenth c e ntury C abbali sm , ,

Theosophy and Alche m y had overspread the w hole of

,

We stern E urope and e specially O f Germany

,
To t his .

mania which infected all cla sses high and low learned
, ,

and unlearned no writer had contributed so much as

Theophrastus Paracel su s H o w general w a s the di ff usion
.
,

and h o w great the inuence o f the writings o f t his extra

ord inary man (f o r such a m id st all his follie s he m u st ever
, ,

be accounted in the annals o f the hu m an mind ) m a y be ,

s een in the l ife of Jacob Behmen O f t he many C abbali stic

.

concei t s d rawn from the Prophetic book s of the O ld Testa

m en t and s t ill more from t he R evela t ions
, o ne o f t he ,

principal and m os t intere sting w a s this t hat in t he se v en

t e e n t h century a great and general refor m a t ion w a s believed
to be i m pending over the human race as a nece ssary fore ,

runner t o t he d a y o f j udgment W hat connects this very

.

general belief wi t h the pre sent inquiry is the circu m stance

of Paracel sus having represented the co m et which appeared
in 1 57 2 a s the sign and harbi n ger of the approaching revo
l u t io n and thu s xed u pon it the expectation and de si re o f
,

a world o f fanatics A no t her prophecy o f Paracel su s which

. ,

crea t ed an equ al interest was t ha t soon af ter the decea se

, ,

of the E m peror R udolph there wou l d be f ound t hree

,
I 7S R OS I CR UCI A N S A N D FREEMA S ON S .

bridges sho ul d be de m oli shed mountain s rendered in su r ,

m ountable and na v igation totally forbidden

, C ato who .
,

s ee m s to b e the wi se st o f the party wi she s t ha t God in h is ,

m ercy would be plea sed t o wa sh away all women fro m t he

earth by a n e w deluge and at the sa m e ti m e t o in t roduce
,

s o m e n e w arrange m ent for the continua t ion o f t he excellen t

*
m ale se x without fe m ale hel p U pon this pleasing and .

sen sibl e proposal the whole company m anifest the greate st

di splea sure and deem i t so abo m inable that t hey unani
,

m o u sl y prostrate the m selve s o n the ground and devoutly

pray to God that He would graciously vouch safe to pre

s erve the lovely race o f wome n (what ab surdi ty and to

save the world fro m a second deluge At leng t h af t er a .
,

long debate the couns el o f S eneca prevail s which coun sel

is this That o u t o f all ranks a s oci e ty should be compo sed
,

having for it s obj ect t he general welfare o f m anki nd and ,

pursuing it in secret Thi s coun sel is adop t ed : though

.

without much hope o n the part of the deputation o n ,

account o f the desperate condition o f
the Age who ,

app e ars before them in person and describes h is o wn ,

wr e t ched state o f heal t h .

The second work give s an account o f such a society a s

already establi shed : thi s is the celebrated work entitled
Ra m a Fra tern it a tis of t he m eri t o ri o us o rd er of t h e R o sy
C ro ss, a d d resse d t o t he l ea rn ed i n g en era l, an d t he Go vern o rs

I nw h ich wi h h s e se e m s to h
ve a nticipa te d t h e Milto nic Ada m
a

0 wh y d i d Go d ,

C rea t o r wise th a t p eo pl e d h igh e st He a ve n

,

W ith spirits m asculin e cre a te a t l a st ,

T h i s n o ve l ty o n e a rth th i s f air d e f e ct
,

O f n a ture a nd n o t ll t h e wo rld a t o nce

,

With Men a s Angel s with o ut f e m inine

, ,

O r nd so m e o th er wa y t o ge nera t e
Ma nk in d .

P L B o k . .
,
o .
 R O S I CR U C I A N S A N D FRE E ATA S O N S . 1 79

o
f E u r ope ; and here we are presented wi t h the following
narrati v e zC hri stian R o sycro ss o f noble descent ha v ing , ,

upon his travel s into the E a st and into Africa l e arned great
m y s t eries fro m Arabian s C haldean s etc upon his return
, ,
.
,

to Germ any e stabli shed in some place not mentioned a

, ,

s ecret socie t y co m posed at r st o f four afterwards of eight

m e m bers who dwelt together in a building called the

,

Hou se o f the Holy Ghost erected by him : to t he se per

,

sons under a vow of delity and s ecrecy b e co m munica t ed

, ,

h is m ysteries Af t er they had been in structed the society

.
,

di spersed agreeably to t heir destination wi t h the exception ,

o f t wo m ember s who re m ained alternately wi t h the founder

, .

The rule s o f t he order were these

The members were
t o cure the sick without fee o r reward N o m e m ber to .

wear a peculiar habi t but to dre ss after t he fa shion o f t he

,

country O n a certain day in every year all t he m e m ber s to

.

a ssemble in t he Hou se o f the Holy Gho st or to accoun t for ,

their absence E very me m ber t o appoint so m e per son with

.

the proper qualication s to succeed him at his own decease .

The word Ro sy Cro ss t o be their seal watchword and char

-
, ,

a c t e rist ic m ark The a ssociation to be kept unrevealed for

.

a hundred year s C hri stian R o sy cro ss died a t the age o f
.

1 0 6 years H is dea t h was kno wn t o t he society but n o t his

.
,

g rave ; f o r it w a s a maxi m o f t he r s t R osicrucians t o conceal

their burial place s even fro m each other N ew masters were

-
.

con t inually elec t ed into the Hou se o f the Holy Gho st and the ,

s ociety had now la sted 1 2 0 year s At the e nd o f t hi s period a

.

door was di scovered in the house and upon the O pening o f ,

thi s door a sepulchral vault U pon the door was thi s in scrip
.

tion O n e hundred and twenty years h e nce I shall open

( P o s t C a n n o s pa te bo
.
) The .vault was a heptagon .

E v ery side was ve feet broad and eigh t feet high I t wa s .

i lluminated by an articial sun In the centre wa s plac ed.

,
 ? ON S
'

1 80 160 51 67 U CI A N S A N D E RE E MA S .

in stead o f a grave stone a circular altar with a li t tle plate o f

-

bra ss whereon the se word s were in scribed : Thi s gra v e an

, ,

abstract o f the whole world I made for m y self while yet ,

living (A C R C H o e U niver si co m pendiu m v ivu s m ihi

. . . .

A a sTo me Je su s is
s e pul ch ru m feci
) bout . the m argin w
all in all Je s u s mihi omnia ) In the centre were four .

gure s enclo sed in a circle by t his revolving legend

N e q u a qu a m vacuu m legis jugu m Libertas E v a n ge lii De i . .

gloria intacta (The empty v oke of t he law is m ade void The

. .

liberty of the gospel The unsullied glory o f God ) E ach of

. .

the se v en sides o f the vaul t had a door opening into a che st

w hich chest besides t he secret book s o f the order and t he
,

V o ca bu l a ri u m o f Paracel s u s contained also mirrors little

,

bell sburning la m p smarvellous mechani sm s o f mu sic ,

etc all so contrived t hat after the lap se o f many centurie s

.
, , ,

if the whole order should have peri shed it m ight be ,

r e establi shed by means o f this vaul t U nder the altar .

,

upon raising t he brazen tablet the broth er s found the body ,

o f R o s cro s s without taint o r corruption The right hand

y ,
.

held a book writ t en upon vellu m wi t h golden letter s : thi s

book w hich is called T h a s since become the mo st pr e ciou s
,
.
,

j ewel of t he society next after the B ible and at t he end

s t and sub s cribed t he name s o f the eigh t brethren arranged ,

in two separa t e circle s who were pre sen t a t the death and
,

burial of Father R o sy cro ss I m m edia t ely af t er the above .

narrati v e follow s a declaration of their m y st erie s addre ssed ,

by t h e society t o the whole world They profe ss t he m sel v e s .

to be o f t he Prote stant fai t h that t hey honour the

E m peror and t he law s of t he E m pire and t hat the ar t o f
gold m aking is but a slight obj ec t with t hem and a m ere
-
,

The whole work ends with these words O ur
'

woipepy o v .

Hou se of the Holy Ghost t hough a hundred thou sand men ,

should ha v e looked upon it is yet de stined t o re ,

1 82 R OS I CR UCI AN S A N D FREE MA S ON S .

satirist and a poet and in our days revived into notic e by

,

t h e late illustrious Herder O thers have di sputed his

.

claim to th e se works and Burke has e xcluded them from

h is catalogue o f A ndr e a s writings

I shall atte m pt
'

.
,

however to prove t hat he w a s the true author A ndre a

, .

w a s born in 1 5 8 6 at Herrenberg a li t tle town o f W irt e m

, ,

berg and was the grandson o f the C han cellor Jacob A ndre a
, ,

so de s ervedly ce l ebrated for h is service s to the church o f

W irt e m b e rg Fro m h is father t he Abbot o f Konigsbronn

.
, ,

he receive d an excellent education which his o wn ex t ra ,

ordinary t hirst for kno wledge led him t o turn to the be st

accou n t . Be sides Hebrew Greek and Latin (in which , ,

languages he was distingui shed for t he elegance o f his s t yle ) ,

he made hims elf master o f the French I talian and S panis h : , ,

was well ve rsed in Math e ma t ics N atural and C ivil His t ory , ,

Geography and Historical Genealogy without at all

, ,

n eglec t in g his profes sional study of divinity V ery early

.

in life he see m s to have had a de e p s e nse of the e vils and

abuses o f the timesnot so much the p olitical abu ses a s ,

tho se in philosophy moral s and r eligion Th e s e i t seem s

, ,
.

that he sought to redres s by the agency o f secret societie s

o n what motives and arg um ents he h a s n o t told us in the ,

record o f h is own life which he left behind him in MS

,
*
.

But the fac t is cer t ain : for a s early a s his sixteen t h year
he had written his Che ica l N up tia ls f C hris
m o t i a n R s
o y cr o ss ,

his Ju liu s sive de Po li tia h is Co n dem n a tio n of Astro lo gy

, ,

f o ll owe d b y a th ird in 1 6 1 6 e n l arg e d b y t h e a dd itio n o f so m e l e tte rs

,

a ddre sse d t o t h e b ro t h erh o o d o f t h e R C ro ss . O th er e d iti o n s f o ll o we d

.

in t h e y e a rs i m m e d i a te l y succee d i n g ; b u t th e se it is un ne ce ssa ry t o
t
n o ce i . I t
n h e t it l e-
p a g e o f t h e t h i rd F r a n k f ur t e d i ti o n s ta n d s First
r in ted a t C a s se l i n t h e y ea r 1 6 1 6 Bu t t h e f o u r r st w o rd s a ppl y t o
p .

t h e o rigi n a l e d iti o n . T h e f o ur l a st t o t h is .

T h is is wri tte n in L a ti n . A G e rm a n t ra nsl a tio n will b e f o un d i n

t h e se co n d b o o k o f Se yb ol d s Au to b i o g ra ph i es o f Ce l e b ra te d Me n

.
 R OS I CR UCI A N S A N D FR EEMA S ON S . 1 83

wi t h other works of the same tendency Between the .

years 1 60 7 and 1 6 1 2 A ndre a travelled exten sively in south

*
and we st Germany S witzerland France and I t aly ,
In , , .

the succeeding years he made short excursion s al m ost

annually : af t er t he opening o f the Thirty Years War he

s t ill con t inued this prac t ice and in the very mid st o f that
great storm of wre t chedn e ss and confusion which t hen
swept over Germany he exerted him self in a way which is
,

truly a stonishing t o heal the sorrow o f t he t im e s by

,

establi shing schools and religious wor ship and by pro

p ga a t in
g th e Lu t heran faith through Bohe m ia M oravia , ,

C arinthia etc ,E ven to this day his coun t ry owe s t o his

.

res tless activity and enlightened patrioti sm many great

ble ssing s A t S tuttgart where he was at length appointe d
.
,

chaplain to the cour t he met with so much thwarting and ,

persecution that with h is inrm con stitution o f body and

, ,

dej ection o f mind fro m witnes sing the de solation o f Ger m an y ,

it is n o t to be wondered tha t he beca m e weary o f life and ,

sank in t o deep despondency and mi san t hropy In this condi .

tion he requested leave in 1 6 4 6 to resign his ofce ; this was

, ,

a t rs t refu sed with many te sti m onie s o f re spect by E ber

, ,

hard the t h en Duke o f W irt e m b e rg ; bu t o n t he urgent

,

repetition o f his request he w a s re m oved t o t he Abbey o f

Bebenhausen and shortly aft e rward s was made Abbot
of Adelberg I n t he year 1 6 54 after a long and painful
.
,

s ickne s s he departed thi s life

, O n the day o f h is death he .

dic t ated a letter t o h is friend and benefac t or A ugu stu s , ,

Duke o f Brunswick W o l f e nb ii t t e l He made an e o rt t o

-
.

Tra ve lli g w n th a t ti m e so exp e nsive f o r l ea rne d m e n a s it

as no t a t

n o w is . Ma n y sch o l a rs tra v e ll e d o n t h e sa m e pl a n a s is no w pursu e d

b y t h e j o u rn ey m e n a rtisa ns o f G erm a n y exe rcisin g t h e i r p ro f o s
sio n a l k n owl e d g e a t e ve ry sta g e o f t h e ir o urn e a nd t h u s a ini ng a
j y g ,

resp e cta b l e l ive l ih o o d .

1 84 R OS I CR UCI AN S AN D FREE MA S O N S .

sig n it ; wrote th e two rst l e tters of his name : and in th e ,

act o f writing the third he expired From a close r e view

, .

o f his life and opinions I am not only sati sed that Andre a
,

wrote the thre e works which laid the foundatio n o f R o si

c ru cia n ism but I se e clearly wh y h e wrote th e m The
, .

evils o f Germ any were then enormous ; and the n e ce ssi ty

of s o m e great reform was universally ad m itted As a .

young m a n wi t hou t experience A ndre a imagined that this

.
,

refor m would be ea sily accompli shed He had the exa m ple .

o f Luther before him t he heroic r e for m er o f the precedin g

,

century whose memory was yet fre sh in German y and

, ,

who se labours seemed o n the point o f peri shing unless

supported by corr e sponding eff ort s in th e exi sting g e ner a

t ion To organise these e ff orts a n d direct them to proper

.

obj ects he proj ected a society compos ed o f the n obl e th e

intell e ctual the enlight e n e d and the l e arned which he
, ,

, ,

hoped to se e moving as under the inuence of o n e s oul

, ,

towards the redre ssing o f public e vils U nder this hope it .

was that he tra v elled so m uch : seeking everywhere no ,

doubt f o r the coadj utors and instrum e nts o f his designs

, .

Th e se de signs he pres e nted originally in the shape o f a

proj ect for a R o sicrucian society ; and in this particular
proj ec t he inter m i n gled some fea t ures that were at variance
with it s gravi ty and really eleva t ed purposes Young as .

he was at that tim e An dre a kne w that men o f various

'

tempers and characters could not be brought to co o perate -

steadily for any obj ect so purely disinteres ted as the eleva
tion o f human nature he therefore addre ss e d t he m t hrough
t he com m on foible o f their age by holding o u t promise s o f ,

occul t knowledge which should inve st it s po sse ssor wi t h

au t hori t y over t he powers o f n a ture should leng t h e n his ,

life o r rai se h im fro m the du st o f pover ty t o w e alth and

,

high sta t io n In a n age o f Theo sophy Ca bbalis m and

.
, ,
186 O
R S I CR UCI A N S A N D FRE E AI A S O N S .

author was called o n t o diso wn them A ndre a did so : and .

,

a s a s u spected per s on he even j oined in public the party

,

o f tho se who ridiculed the whole as a chimera * More .

priva t ely howe v er and in h is po sthu m ous me m oirs of

, ,

hi m self we nd tha t he nowhere disavows the works

, .

Indeed the bare fac t o f h is b eing confe ssedly the author

,

of The C he m ical N uptials o f C hri stian R o sycro ss
a hero never before heard o iis alone su f cient
t o vindicate his clai m But further if A ndre a were

?
. .
,

not the author who was ,

Heidegger in his His to ria ,

V i tae Jo L u d o v Fa bricii maintains t hat Jung the cele

. .
, ,

b ra t e d math e m atician o f Ha m burg founded t he sect o f

?
,

R o sicrucians and wrote th e Fa m a but o n what ground

S imply o n th e authority o f Albert Fabricius who re ,

ported th e story in casual conv e rsation as derived from

a s ecretary o f the court of H e idelberg (S ee the Acta .

E ru dit o ru m L ipsie n sia 1 6 98 page O thers have ,

brought forward a claim f o r Giles Gutmann supported ,

by no oth e r argument than that he was a disting uished

m y stic in t hat age o f mystici sm .

Mo rh o f (Po l yh ist I p 1 31 ed L ub e cae 1 7 32 ) has a

. . .
,
.
,

remark which if true might leave A ndre a in po ssession

, ,

o f the author ship wi t hout t herefore a scribing to him any

,

inuence in the for m ation o f the R o sicrucian order :

Fuere says he
,
non priscis tantum se culis collegia
,

talia occulta se d e t superiori seculo

,
s exto deci m o
) -

de Fra t e rn it a t e R o se ee C ruci s fama pe rcre b u it A ccord .

ing to this r e mark t he order exi sted in the six t eenth

,

I n th e m i dt
s of id icul e h owev er it is e a sy t o d isco ve r t h e
his r , ,

to n e o f a writer wh o is l a ugh in g n o t with t h e l a ugh ers b ut a t th e m .

And re a l a ugh e d a t th o se f o ll ies o f t h e sch e m e wh ic h h e we ll k n e w

t h a t t h e ge n era l f o ll y o f t h e a ge h a d co m p e ll e d h im t o i nterwe a ve wit h
it a gainst h is o w n b e tter j udgm ent .
 R OS I CR UCI AN S A N D FREEMA S ON S . 1 87

century that is before the year

, ,
now if so t he , ,

three books in question are not to be con sidered as an

anticipa t ion o f the order bu t a s its hi story Here ,
.
,

then the que stion ari ses

,
Was the bro therhood of
R o sicrucian s as de scribed in these book s an historical
?
, ,

m atter o f f act o r a ro m ance That it was a pure ro m antic

,

c t ion might be shown by argu m ent s far m ore than I can

ad m it The Un iversa l R ef o rm a tio n (t he rst o f the three
.

work s) was borrowed from the Generale R iforma dell
U niverso dai set t e Sa v ii della Gr e cia e da altri Le tterati ,

u b l i a t a di ordine di A pollo which occur in t he R u
p c s a g ga ,

lio d i Pa rn a sso o f Bocc al ini It is true that t he earliest .

edition o f the R a gu a glio which I have seen bear s the date , ,

o f 1 61 5 Mi la no ) but t here was an edi t ion o f the rst

C en tu ri a in 1 6 1 2 Indeed Boccalini hi m self w a s cudgelled
.
,

to dea t h in 1 61 3 (S ee Ma z z uche lli S crittori d I t a l ia vol

, .

ii p iii p
. . . . As t o the Fa m a which properly con ,

tain s the pretended hi story o f the order it tee m s with ,

intern al argu m ents again st it self The Hou se o f the Holy .

Gho st exi st s for two centurie s and is seen by nobody ,

.

Fa t her R o sycro ss dies and none o f the order even knew ,

where he was buried ; and yet afterward s it appears t hat

eight brothers wi tne ssed h is dea t h and h is burial He .

build s him self a m agnicent sepulchre with elaborate ,

sy m bolic decora t ion s ; and yet f o r 1 2 0 years it re m ain s

undi scovered The society o ff ers it s t rea sure s and it s
.

m y st erie s to the world ; and yet no reference to place

or per son is a ssigned to direct the inquiries of applicant s .

Wh ich h as b e e n ado pt d e b y m any of t he l e arn e d Arno s

: se e ld

Hist . of the C hurch a nd He re t ics, b o o ii

of 2 45 k . p . . Bruck e ri Hist .

C l i t Ph il o so ph ie , t o m
o . iv . 7 35 sq N i co a i o n t h e c ar es a a i n st
, . l h g g
t h e Te m pl t i p
a rs, p ar . . 1 64 Herd er s L e tters o n N ico a i s wo r i n
.

l
k
the G e rm a n Mercury f o r 1 7 8 2 .
1 88 R O S I CR U CI AN S A N D FRE E JTAS O N S .

Finally to sa y n othing o f t he V o ca bu la riu m O f Paracel su s

, ,

which m ust have b e en put in the grav e before i t existed ,

the R osicr ucian s are said t o b e Prote stants though founded

upwards o f a century before the R eformation In short .
,

the ction is monstrous and betrays itself in every circu m

,

stance . Who so e ver was its author m ust be looked upon as

the founder in e ff e ct of th e R o sicrucian order ina sm uch a s ,

thi s ction was the accidental occasion o f such an order s
being really founded That A ndre a was that author I
.

s hall now prove by o n e argu m ent : It is a pre sumptive

argu m ent but in my opinion conclus ive : The a rm o ria l

,

bea r ing s of An d rea s f a m i ly wer e a S t An d re w s cro ss a n d

.

f o u r ro ses By t h e or d
. er o f the R osy cross he means

-
, ,

therefore an order founded by himself

, .

N ico l a i supp o ses th a t t heum e d a s t h e sy m b o l o f

rose was a ss

se cre cy a n d t h e cross t o exp re ss t h e so l e m ni ty o f t h e o a t h b y wh ich

,

t h e vo w o f se cre cy wa s ra ti e d Such a a ll e g o ric m e a ni ng is n o t

. .

inco nsiste nt with th a t wh ich I h a ve a ssig n ed a n d m a y h a ve b e e n a ,

se c o n d a ry p urp o se o f An d re a So m e aut h o rs h a ve i nsiste d o n t h e

wo rd s Su b Um bra A la ru m tua ra m Jehova
.

wh ich sta n d a t t h e e n d o f
t h e Fa m a Fra ternita tis a s f urni sh i ng t h e i nita l l e tt e rs o f Joha nn es V a l
,

A n d re a S t ip e nd ia ta T u bingensis
, B ut o n th i s I h a ve n o t th o ugh t it
.

ne c essa ry t o l a y m uc h st re ss .
1 90 R O S I CR UCI A N S A ZV D FREEMA S ON S .

public advance s so m uch t h e m ore eager and am orous were

,

it s admirers and s o much t he m ore bloodthi rsty it s a n t a g

o n ist s Meanti m e t here were so me who fro m the beginning
.

had escaped the general delu sio n ; and there were many who
had gradually recovered f rom it It w a s remarked that o f .

the many printed letters to the society though court e ously ,

and oft en learn e dly written none had b e en answered ; and

,

all atte m pts to pen e trate the darkness in which the order
w a s shrouded by its unknown memoriali st were succe ss
fully b a te d Hence aro se a suspicion tha t some bad
.

d e signs lurked under the ostensible purpo ses o f the se

mysterious publications : a su spicion which was natur
ally strengthened by what now began to follow Many .

vile i m postor s aro se who gave themselves o ut f o r members

,

of the R osicrucian order ; and upon the cre d i t which

they t hus obtained for a sea son cheated numbers o f their
money by alchemyo r o f their h e alth by panaceas Three
,

in particular made a great noise at W etzlar at N uremberg , ,

and at A ugsburg : all w e re punished by the magistracy ,

o n e lost his ears in running th e gauntlet and one w a s ,

hanged At this cri sis stepped forward a powerful writer

.
,

who attacked t he suppo sed order wi t h much scorn and

hom e ly good sense This w a s A ndre w Libau He expo sed
. .

t he imprac t icability o f the m editated re f ormationthe

incredibili t y o f the legend o f Fa t her Ro sycro ssand the
hollowne ss o f the pre t ended sciences which they profe ssed .

He pointed t he attention o f govern men t s to the confu sion s

w h ich these i m postures were producing and predic t ed fro m ,

them a renewal o f the scenes which had at t ended the

fanatici sm of the A nabap ti st s The se writing s (of which two
.

were La t in Frankfurt 1 6 1 5 folioone in German E rfurt

, , , , ,

1 6 1 6 8 vo ) added to others o f the s ame tendency would

, , ,

po ssibly have laid the storm by cau sing the suppression

 O
R S I CR UCI A N S AN D FREEMA S ON S . 191

of all t he R o sicrucian books and pre t en sions : but thi s

ter m ina t ion o f the m a n ia w a s defea t ed by two circu m
s t ances : the rst w a s t he conduct o f the Paracel si st s Wi t h .

frantic eagerness they had so ught to pre ss into the i m aginary

order : but ndin g the m s elve s la m entably repulsed in all
,

their e ff or t s at length t hey paused and t urning suddenly

, ,

round they said to o n e another

What need to court thi s
?
,

perverse order any longer We are ourselves R osicrucians

as to all the es sential mark s laid down in the three books .

We al so are holy person s of great knowledge ; we al so

m ake gold o r sh all make it
,
we also no doubt give us but , ,

ti m e shall reform the world : ex t ernal cer e monies are

,

no thi ng sub stantially it is clear that we are the R o sicrucian

order . U pon thi s they went on in numerous book s and
pamphlet s to a ssert that they were the id e ntical order
ins t i t uted by Father Ro sycro ss and de scribed in t he Fa m a
Fra t ern ita tis The public min d wa s now perfectly d is
.

tracted ; no man knew what to think ; and t he uproar

beca m e greater than ever The other circum stance which
.

defeat ed the tend e ncy o f L ib a u s exertions w a s t he conduct

,

o f Andre a and his friends C lear it is that A ndre a enj oyed

.

the scen e of confu sion until he began to be sensibl e tha t he

,

had called up an apparition which it was beyond h is art

t o lay Well knowing that in al l that gre at crowd o f
.

a spiran t s who were knocking clamorously f o r admit t ance

,

into the airy college o f Father R o sy cro ss though o n e and ,

all pretended t o be enamoured of t ha t mystic wi sdo m he

had pro m i sed yet by far the maj ority were in fact
,

enamoured O f that g o ld which he h a d hinted a t it is

eviden t that h is satirical propensitie s were violen tly
I hv e n o d oub t th a t Andre a a ll ud e s t o h is o wn h igh diversio n o n
a

th is o cca sio n in t h e f o ll owing p assa ge o f a l a ter work (Mytho logia

Christia na ) wh ic h h e printe d a t Stra sb u rg in 1 61 9 I t is Tru th (d ie
.
192 R O S I CR UCI AN S A N D FREEMA S O N S .

tickled : and he w a s willi n g to keep up t he hubbub o f

delu sion by inging o u t a couple o f pa m phlet s a m ongst
the hungry crowd which tend e d to amuse them They
, .

were 1 E pi s t ola ad R e v e re n d a m Fra t e rn it a t e m R

,
. .

C rucis .Fra n co f 1 61 3 ; 2 A sse rt io Fra t e rnit a t is R C a

. . . .

u o d a m Fra t e rn ej u s S ocio carmine expre ssa Franc 1 6 1 4

q .
, .

which la st w a s translated into Ger m an in 1 61 6 and again ,

in 1 6 1 8 in t o German rhyme under the title o f Ara

, ,

F oe d eris t h e ra pici or Al t ar o f the Hea ling Fraterni t y :

,

(t he mo st general abstraction o f the pre t en sions made for

the R o sicrucians beingthat they healed both the body

and t he mind ) Al l t hi s in a you n g man and a profe ssed
.
,

satiri st w a s natural and excu sable But in a f e w year s

,
.

A ndre a was shocked to nd that the delusion had taken

rm root in the public mind O f the m any au t hors who .

wrote wi t h a sincere de sign to countenance the notion o f a

pretended R o sicrucian society I S hall here men t ion a f e w ,

of the m ost mem orable I A writer calling hi m self .

Ju lia n u s a C a m pis wrote expre ssly t o account for the

R o sicrucian s not revealing the m selve s and not answering ,

the letters addre ssed to t hem He was hi m sel f he said a .

, ,

me m ber o f the order but in all his travel s he had met but
t h ree o t her member s there bei n g (as he pre su m ed ) no more
,

per son s o n the earth w orthy o f being entru sted wi t h its

A le th ia ) wh o is s p eak n i g :

Pl a n issim e n ih i l c um h a c Fra t e rn it a t e
( se. R o s C r
.uci s ) co m m u n e N a m , ch m h ab e o . p ll t l
au o an e usu m

q ue n d a m in ge n io sio re m perso n a t us a l i u is (n o
q d ub t h i m l f )
o se in
li t e ra rio f oro a e re v e e tn i i m o ta sum l ib el is
g ll hl i n t er se co n ict a n

t ib u s ; s e d ve l ut in sce n a pro d e u nt e s s h i tri o ne s n o n i

s ne vo l upta t e

Spe ct a vi

. ik
L e Miss in h er Tee ns (in t h e e xce ll e n t f a rce o f Ga rri ck )
wh o so m uch e nj o y s t h e p ro sp e ct o f a b a ttl e b e twe e n h e r t wo l o vers

,

d
An re a n s i t e a d o f c a l m i n g t h e tu m u l t w h ic h h e h a d ca u se d wa s ~

d isp o se d a t rst t o cry o ut t o t h e a ngry p"o l e m ics Stick him -

C a p t a i n F l ash ; d o stick h im
,
Ca p ta i n Fl ash , .
1 94 R O S I CR UCI A N 5 A N D FE E E MA S ON S .

4 . A far more i m por t ant per son in the hi st ory of R o si o ru .

i
c a n sm i was Michael Maier : he i t w a s t hat r s t t ran splanted
it in t o E ngland where (as we shall se e ) it led ul t im a t ely
,

to more la sting e ff ects than in Ger m any He w a s born in .

Hol stein and was phy sician to the E m peror R udolph II

,
.
,

who being po sse s sed by the my stical frenz y o f the age sen t
, ,

for h im t o Prague I n 1 6 2 2 he died at Magdeburg

.
,

having pre v iou sly trave l led exten sively and particularly t o ,

E ngland H is works are among the rarities o f bibliography

.
,

and fe t ch very high pr i ces The r st o f the m which .

,

concern s our pre sent inquiry is tha t enti t led Jo cu s S ever u s ; ,

Fra n cof 1 61 7 It is addre ssed (in a dedication written on

.

h is road fro m E ngland to Bohemia o mnibu s verse ch ym iee ,

a m a n t ib u s per G e rm a n ia m and a m ongs t t he m m ore ,

e specially illi ordini a d h uc d elit escen ti at Fa m a Frater ,

n it a t is e t C onfes sione su a a d m ira n d a e t probabili m a n i

f est a t o This work it a ppear s had been writ t en in
.
, ,

E ngland O n h is return to Ger m any he beca m e acquain t ed

.

with the erce con trover sy o n the R o sicrucian sect ; and as

b e r m ly bel ie v ed in the exi st ence o f s uch a sect he sought ,

to introduce hi m sel f t o it s no tice : but n d ing t hi s im po s

sible he se t hi m self to e stabli sh such an order by his o wn
,

e ff or t s and in h is fu t ure wri t ing s he spoke of i t a s already

exi st inggoing so far even a s t o publi sh it s la w s which
indeed had previou sly been done b y t he author of the E cho ) .

Fro m t he principal work which he wrote on t hi s subj ec t ,

enti tled S i len ti u m p o st cla m or e s I shall m ake an ex t rac t

*
, ,

becau se in t hi s work it is t hat we meet wi t h the r st t race s

Si l en tium p os t cl a m o re s ,
h . Tra cta t u s Apo l o ge t ic us, q uo ca uses
e.

n o n so l um C l a m o ru m (se u re ve l a t io ne m ) Fra t e rn it a t is Ge rm a n icae d e

R C
. .
, se d e t S il ent i i se u n o n re dd it ae, a d s ing ul o ru m
( v o ta respo n sio n is )
t ra d u n t ur et d e m o n st ra n t u r . Auto re Mich a e l a Ma ie ro , I m p C o n s ist
. .

C o m ite, et Me d Do ot
. . Fra n co f 1 6 1 7
. .
 R O S I CR U CI A N S AN D E E E E MA 50 N 5 . 19 5

of Ma sonry N ature is yet but half unveiled W hat we

.

.

want is chi ey experi m ent and tentative in quiry Great .

,

therefore are our Obliga tions to the Ro sicrucia ns for

,

labouring t o supply t his want T heir weightiest m ystery .

is a U niversal Medicine S uch a C atholicon lies hid in .

nature It is however no si m ple but a v e ry com pound

.
, , ,

m edicine For out o f the meanest pebbles and weeds

.
,

m edicine a n d even g o l d is to be extracted

,

H e t ha t
, .

doub t s t h e exi st ence o f t he R 0 should recollect that the . .

Greek s E gyptian s A rabian s etc had such se cret socie t ies ;

?
.
, , , ,

where then is the ab surdity in their exi sting at this day

, ,

Their maxi m s of self di scipline are t hese To honour and

-

fear Go d above all things to do all t he good in their power

to their fellow m e n and so o n
-
What is contained in .

the Fa m a and C on f e ssio is true It is a very childi sh .

obj ection that the brotherhood have pro m i sed so much and
per f or m ed so lit tle With t he m a s els e where many are
.
, ,

called bu t few are cho sen The m a sters of the order hold .

out the ro se a s a re m o t e prize b u t they impo se the cro ss ,

o n tho se who are Like the Pythagoreans and

E gyp tians the R o sicrucians exac t vow s of silence and
,

secrecy I gnorant m e n have treated the whole as a ction

.

but thi s h a s ari sen fro m the ve years probation to which
they s ubj e ct even well q u a l ie d novice s before t hey are -

ad m i t te d t o the higher m y ste ries : wi thin this period they

are to learn how t o govern their tongues In the sa m e .

year wi t h thi s book he publi shed a work of R obert Fl u dd s

(wi t h whom he had lived o n friendly t er m s in E ngland ) ,

De vi t a m o rt e e t reswrecti o n e
,
O f other work s which he
,
.
,

publi shed afterwards I S h all here sa y no t hing : neither

,

E cce i nn um e ri a d sunt e x vo ca t is,

*
sese q ue o ff e run t : at non

a ud uin t ur a m a gist ra s R Cruci s, q u i . ro sa s o st e n t a n t , at cruce m

e xh ib ent . P 77. .
 1 96 R OS I CR UCI A N S A N D FR EEMA S ON S .

S hall I detain m y reader with any account o f his fellow

labourers in this path Theophilus Sch w e igh a rt o f C o n
stance Jo sephus S tellatus o r Giles Gutm ann
, The book s
, .

I have m entioned were enough t o con v ince Andrea that

' '

his romance had succeed ed in a way which he had never

designed The public had accredited the cha r la t a n erie o f
.

h is books but gave no welcom e to that for the sake o f

,

which this chamla ta n erie was adopted as a vehicle The .

A lchem y had been approved the moral and religious ,

schem e slighted An d societie s were forming even among st

.

th e learned upon the bas is o f all that was fal se in the

sy stem to the e xclu sion o f all that was true Thi s w a s a
, .

spectacle which could no longer be viewed in the l ight o f a

j oke the folly was becoming too se rious and An d re s: se t

'

him self to counteract it wi t h all his powers Fo r this .

purpo se he now published his C hem i ca l N up ti a ls of

Christi an Ro sy cro ss which he had written in 1 60 1 2 (when
,

only in his sixteen t h year) but n o t printed This is a , .

comic rom ance o f extraordinary talent the covert purpo se ,

o f it being a ren ed and delica t e banter o f the Pedants ,

Theosophi st s G o ld m a k e rs and E nthu sia sts o f every cla ss

, ,

with whom Ger m any at that ti m e swarmed In his for m er .

works he had trea t ed the Paracelsi sts wi t h forbearance ,

hoping by such treat m ent t o have won the m over to his

o w n elevated de signs but in this t hey were inve sted wi t h
the cap and bell s U nfortunately for the purpose of
.

Andre a however even this ro m ance w a s swallo wed by the

, ,

public as true and seriou s hi st ory U pon t his in t he .

,

following year he publi shed a collection o f satirical dia

,

log nes under the title o f Men ipp u s si ve d ia l sa tyri co ru m

cen twri a i n a n i ta tu m n o stra tiu m Sp ecu lu m
,
In this he .

more openly unveil s his tru e de signrevolution o f method

in the arts and science s and a general religious refor m ation
,
.
1 98 R OS I CR UCI A N S
'

A N D FREEMA S ON S .

absurdity did they advance that t hey repre sented the rst ,

o f th e three R o sicrucian book s (t he Un i versa l R ef o r m a t io n

)
as a high mystery a n d expounded i t in a che m ical sense
, ,

as if it had contained a cryptical account of the art of gold

making whereas it is nothing more than a literal tran s
,

lation word f o r word o f the Parnasso o f Boccalini
, ,
The .

e ff ect o f all this ridicul e and satire w a s that in Ger m any , ,

as ther e is the best reason to believe no regular lodge o f ,

R osicru cians was ever e stablish e d Des C a rt es who had .

,

heard a gre at deal o f talk about them in 1 6 1 9 during his ,

re sidence at Frankfort o u the Maine sought to connec t

- -
,

himself with some lodge (f o r which he was aft erward s

exposed t o the ridicul e o f his enemie s) ; but the im po ssi
b il it y o f nding any body of them formally connected
together and a perusal o f the R osicrucian writings satis
, ,

e d h im in the end that n o such order was in existence .

Many years afte r Leibnitz came to the same conclu sion

,
.

He was actually connected in early life wi t h a so i di san t -

society o f the R C in N u re m berg ; for even at thi s day

. .

there is obviously nothing to prevent any society in any

place from as suming that o r any oth e r title but t hat they
were not connected traditionally with the alleged society o f

Father Ro sycro ss Leibnitz was con v inced
,

1 1 me pa ro it .
,

says he in a lette r to a friend publi shed by Feller in the

, ,

O t iu m Ha n n o vera n u m (p il me pa ro it que tout ce

.
,

que l o n a dit d e s Freres de l a C roix de la R ose e st une

,

pur e invention de q uelque personne inge n ie use

An d .

again so late as the year 1 6 9 6 he says in another letter

, ,

Fr atres Ro se ae C rucis ct it io s fui sse su spico r quod e t

'

H e l m o n t iu s mihi c o n rm a v it
Adept s there were here .

and there it is true and even whole clubs of swindlers who

, ,

called them selves R o sicrucians thus L u d o v C o n r O rviu s . .

,

in h is Occu l ta Philo sophia sive C oelu m sa pien tu m e t V exa t io

,
 E0 51 0 E U CI AN S AN D E E E E MA 50 N 5 . 1 99

st u lt oru m ,te ll s a lamentable tale o f such a socie ty pretend ,

ing to deduce t he m selve s fro m Fa t her R o sy cro ss who were ,

se t tled at the Hague in 1 6 2 2 and after swindling him o u t ,

o f his own and h is wife s fortune a m oun t ing to eleven ,

thou sand dollar s kicked h im o u t o f the order with the

, ,

a ssurance that t hey would m urder him if he re v ealed their

s ecre t s : which secre t s says he I have faithfully kept, , ,

and f o r the sa m e rea son that wo m en keep secrets viz .

,

becau se I have none t o reveal ; for their knavery is no

secret .There is a well known story al so in V oltaire s -

Diction Philo soph A rt Alchim iste of a rogue who chea t ed

. .
,
.
,

the Duke of Bouillon o f dollars under t he m a sque o f

R osicruciani s m Bu t th e se were ca se s for the police o f ce
.
-

and the gross i m po sture s o f j ail birds As the aberra t ion -

.

o f learned men and as a ca s e for the satiri st R o sicruciani sm

, ,

receiv e d a shock fro m t he wri t ing s o f it s acciden t al Fa t her

Andre a] and o t hers such as in Germany it never reco v ered
, .

I n i t n eve r h a d e ven a m o m e nt ary succe ss I t wa s m e t b y

Fra nc e .

t h e rid icul e o f P G a rasse a nd o f G a b ri e l N a u d in h is I nstru ct ion a la

.

Fra nce su r verite d e l h isto ire d es Freres d e la Rose Croix : Pa ris 1 6 2 3

-
,

a n d in L e Ma scura t a rare wo rk p ri n te d i n 1 6 2 4 a nd o f wh ich t h e

, , ,

se c o n d e d iti o n 1 6 5 0 is still ra re r I n d e p e nd e ntl y o f t h e se wo rk s

.
,

Fra n ce wa s a t th a t tim e t h e riv a l o f I ta l y in scie n ce a n d h a d g re a tl y ,

t h e st art o f G erm a n y a n d E n gl a n d in g e n era l i ll um i n a ti o n S h e wa s .

th us suf ci e ntl y p ro t ecte d f ro m such a d e l usio n T hus f a r Pro f esso r

B uhl e But pa ce tuft wo rth y Pro f e sso r I t h e tra nsl a to r o f y o ur
.

b o o k a ffirm th a t Fra nce h a d no t t h e st a rt o f E ngl a n d n o r wa nte d

.
, ,

th e n o r si nce t h e igno b l er el e m e nts o f c re d ulity a s t h e Histo ry o f ,

Ani m a l Ma g ne tism a nd m a ny o th er f a nta stic f o ll ie s b e f o re tha t h a ve

suffici e n tl y sh own But sh e h a s a lwa y s wa nte d t h e n o b l e r
. t he
im a gi na tive ) e l e m e nts o f cre d ul ity O n th is a cco un t t h e Fre n ch h a ve
.

a lwa y s b e e n a n irre l i gi o us p e o pl e And t h e sch e m e o f Fa th er Ro sy

.

cro ss wa s t o o m uch co nn ecte d wit h re ligious f e e lings a nd m o ve d t o o ,

m uc h un d er a re l ig i o us i m p ul se t o re c o m m e n d itse l f t o t h e Fre nch

, .

Th is rea so n a p a rt h o we ve r a cci d n t h a d m uch t o d o with t h e ill

, ,
e

f ortune of Ro sicru cia ni sm in France .

20 0 R OS I CR UCI A N S AND FREEMA SONS .

An d hen c e it has happened that, whatever nu m ber there

may have been o f individual my stics calling t hem selves
R o sicrucian s no collective body o f R o sicrucians acting
,

conj unction was ever matured and actually establis hed in

G er m any In E ngland the ca se w a s other wise ; for there
.
,

a s I shall show t he order still subsis t s under a di ff erent

,

n am e But this will furn ish matter for a s e parate chapt er

. .

Meanti m e o n e word remains to be said o f A ndre a s labours

,

with respect t o the R osicrucian s He was not content with .

O ppo sing gravely a nd satirically the erroneous societie s

which learned m e n were attem pting to found upon h is o wn
romance o f th e Fa m a Fra t ern i ta tis but laboured more ,

earnestly than e ver to mature and to establish that genuine

society f or th e propagation of truth which has been th e real ,

though mi sint e rpr eted obj ect o f his romance and indeed of ,

h is whol e life S uch a society he lived t o see accomplished :

.

and in order to mark upon what foundation he placed all

hopes o f a n y great improve m ent in th e condition of human
n a t ure he called i t by t h e name o f t h e C hri st i a n Fr a t er n i ty
, .

This fact I hav e recorded in order to complete the account ,

o f A ndre a s history in relation to R o sicruciani s m : but I

shall not further pur s ue the hi story o f th e C hristi a n Fra ter

*
n i ty as it is no way s connected with the su bject of the
,

pre sent inquiry .

Se e t h e I nvita tio Fra ternita tis Chr isti ad Sa cri a m o ris ca nd id a te s

Arge nt u r, 1 6 1 7 t h e Ch ristia na: so cie ta tis id ea T ub in gae , 1 62 4 ; t h e

:

V era u n io n is in Ch rista Jesu sp ecim en : N o rim b , 1 62 8 ; a nd o t er

. h
wo rk s o n t h e sa m e subj e ct A list o f t h e m em b ers
. c m p i g th i
o os n s

C h risti a n B ro t h erh o o d wh ich co ntinu e d it s l a b o urs f t r A dr a

, a e n e s

d ea th is still p reserve d
, .
20 2 O
R S I CR UCI A N S AN D FREEMA S ON S .

kno wle d ge publi shed in Germ any were a t t hat tim e

, ,

i m m ediately carried over to E nglandprovided they were

writ t en in Latin ; and if wri tten in German were soon , ,

tran slated for the bene t o f E nglish student s He m a y .

therefore ha v e gained his knowledge im mediately from the

three R o sicrucian books But i t is more probabl e that h e .

acquired his knowledge o n thi s head from his friend Mai e r

( m en t ioned in the preceding chapter ) who was intimate ,

with Fludd during his stay in E ngland and corre sponded ,

wi t h h im after he left i t At all events he mu st have .

,

been initiated in t o R o sicrucia n i sm at an early period ,

having published his ap o logy for it in the year 1 6 1 7 This .

indeed is denied to be h is work though a scribed t o h im in ,

t he title page but be that as it may it was at any rate the

-
, ,

work o f the same au t hor who wrote th e S u m m u m 190 m m ?

L

being expressly claimed by h im at p 39 If not Fl u dd s . .

,

it was the work o f a friend o f Fl u dd s and as the nam e is

,

o f no i m portance I shall continu e to refer to it as Fl u d d s

having once apprised my read e r that I mean by Fludd

,

the author be he who he may of these two work s N ow

, , .

t he r st ques t ion which ari ses is this f o r what reason did

Fludd drop the na m e o f R o sicrucians The reason wa s ?
briey this his apology for the R osicrucian s was attacked
b y t he celebrated Fa t her Mersenne T O thi s Fl udd replied .
,

un d er t he nam e o f Joachi m Fritz in two w it ty but ,

T ra ct at us a po l o ge t icus i nt e grit a t e m So cieta tis d e Ro se a Cruce

d ef e nd en s . Aut h o re Ro b ert o De Fl uct ib us, An o , M D L L ugdgl . . . .

Ba t . 1 61 7 .

1 T

hi
wo rk wa s d isa vowe d b y Fl udd But a s t h e p rincipl es t h e
s .
,

st y l e t h e a n i m o si ty to wa rd s Me rse n n e t h e p ub l i sh er a n d t h e y e a r
, , , ,

we re severa ll y t h e sa m e in th is a s in t h e S op h iae cu m Mo rid certa m e n ,

wh ich Fl udd a ck n owl e dg e d t h e re ca nn o t b e m uch re a so n t o d o ub t

,

th a t it wa s h is Co n sul t t h e Ca ta l o gue o f so m e rare b o o k s b y G

.
.

S e rpil ius, N o . II . p . 2 38.

 R OS I CR UCI A N S AND FREEMA S ON S . 2 0 J9

coar se book s entitled Su m m u m Bo n u m and S ap hice cu m

, ,

Mo ria cer ta m en in the rst o f which to th e q ue stion

?
,

Where t he R o sicrucians re sided he replied thu s In
the house s o f God where C hri st is the corner stone
,
and -

he explained the symbol s o f t he R o s e and C ro ss in a n e w

s en s e as meaning
,
the C ro ss sprinkled wi t h the rosy blood
o f C hri s t

. Mersenne being O bviou sly no m atch for Fludd
ei ther in learning o r polemic wit Ga ssendi s t epped forward
,

in t o h is place and publi shed (in 1 6 30 ) an excellent rej oinder

,

t o Fludd in his E xcercita tio Ep isto lica which analy sed and ,

ridiculed the principles o f Fludd in general and in particular ,

reproached h im wi t h h is belief in t he rom antic legend O f

t he R o sicrucian s U pon this Fludd nding hi m self hard
.
, ,

pres sed under his con sciou s inabili ty to a ssign their place of
abode evades the question in his an swer to Ga ssendi
,

( publi s hed in 1 6 33
) by formally wi t hdrawing the na m e
Ro si cru cia n s : for h aving occa sion to speak o f the m he
, ,

calls the m Fra t res R C o lim si c di oti quos nos ho d ie
. .
,

S apientes (S opho s) v o ca m u s ; o m isso illo n o m i n e (t anqu am

O dioso m ise ris m o rt a l ib u s velo ign o ra n t ise O b d u c t is) et in

o blivio n e h o m i n u m j am
f e re sep u l t o Here. then we have , ,

the negative que stion answered why and when they cea sed
to be called R o sicrucians Bu t n o w co m e s the second o r
.
,

afrm a tive questionwhy and when they began to be

called Freema son s In 1 6 33 we have seen that the o l d
.

na m e w a s aboli shed ; but as ye t no new n a m e was su b

st ituted in default of such a na m e they were styled a d
i n terim by t he general t er m wise m en , Thi s however .
, ,

being t oo vague an appella t ion for men who wi shed to form

the m selves in t o a separa t e and exclu si v e society a n e w o n e ,

w a s t o be devi sed bearing a m ore special allu sion to their

characteri st ic object s N ow the i m m ediate hint for the
.

name Masons w a s derived from the legend contained in ,

20 4 R OS I CR UCI AN S A ND FREEMA S ON S .

the Fa m a Fra t ern ita tis o f the House of the Holy Gho st
, .

Where and what w a s t hat house ! Thi s had been a subj e ct

o f much speculation in Ger m any ; and m any had been
si m ple enough to understand t he expre ssion o f a literal
hou se and had inquired af t er i t up and down t he empir e
, .

Bu t A ndrea had hi m self m ade it i m possible to understand

it in any other t han an allegoric sen se by de scribing it as ,

a building that would re m ain invisible to the godle ss

world for ever Theophilu s Sch w e igh a rt also had spoke n
.

o f it thus I t is a building say s he

a great build ing , , ,

ca rens f en estri s e t f o ribu s a princely nay an imp e rial , ,

palace e verywhere vi sible and ye t n o t seen by th e e yes

,

of m an This building in fact represented the purpose
?
.
, ,

o r O bj ect o f the R o s icrucians An d what was that It

was the secret wisdom o r in their language m a g icviz
.

.
, , , ,

l . Philosophy o f na t ure o r occult knowledge o f the ,

work s o f God ; 2 Theology or the occult knowledge o f

.
,

God him self ; 3 R eligion or God s occult intercourse with

.
,

the spiri t o f man which they i m agined to have been t rans

,

m i t t e d from A dam through the C abbali sts to them selve s .

Bu t they distingui shed between a carnal and a spiritual

knowledge o f thi s magic The spiritual knowledge is t he .

bu sine ss o f C hri stiani ty and is symboli sed by C hri st hi m self

,

as a rock and a s a building o f which he is the head and the

?
,

foundation What rock and what building say s Fludd

.
, .

A S piritual rock and a building of human nature in which

, ,

m e n are the stones and C hri st the corner stone But h o w *

?
-
.

shall stone s m ove and arrange the m selves into a building

Sum m um B o nu m p 2 7 C o n cl ud im us igitur quo d J e sus sit

, . .

t e m pl i h um a ni l a p is a ngul aris ; a t que it a e x m o rt uis l a p i d es v i v i

, ,

f a cti sunt h o m i n es p ii ; id q ue t ra n sm ut a t io n e rea l i a b Ad a m i l a p si

sta tu in sta tum su ae in n o ce n t iae e t pe rf e ct io nis a vi l i e t l e pro sa
u m b i co n d iti o n e in auri p uri ssi m i perf e ct io n e m M a s n ic re a d ers

p l . o
20 6 O
R S I CR UCI AN S A N D FR EEMA S ON S .

t hey were led to a t tend more m inutely to the legends and

hi story of t hat ar t ; and in the se again t hey found an
O ccul t analogy wi t h their own rela t ions to t he C hri st ian
wi sdom The r s t great event in the art o f Ma sonry
.

was t he building o f t he Tower o f Ba b el : thi s expre ssed

gura t ively the a tt e m pt O f som e unknown Mason to build
up t h e temple o f t he Holy Gho st in an t icipation o f C hri s
t ia n it y which a t te m pt ho w ever had been confounded by
, , ,

the vani t y O f the b uilder s The building o f S olo m on s .

Te m ple t he second grea t incident in t he ar t had an

, ,

O b v iou s m eaning a s a pre gu ra t io n of C hri stiani t y .

*
Hira m si m ply the architec t o f thi s t e m ple to t he real
,

pro f e ssors O f t he art O f building w a s t o t he E ngli sh R o si ,

crucian s a type o f C hri st : and the legend o f Ma son s which ,

repre s ented t hi s Hira m a s having been m urdered by his

fellow work m en m ade the type s t ill m ore striking The
-

,
.

t w o pillars also Jachin and Bo a 2 1 (streng t h and power)

, ,
L
,

which are a m ongst the me m orable singulari t ies in S olo m on s
Te m ple have a n O ccul t m eaning to the Free m a son s which
, , ,

howe v er I shall no t undertake publicly t o explain This

,
.

sy m bolic in t ere s t t o t he E ngli sh R o sicrucians in the a t t ri

bute s inciden t s and legend s O f the ar t exerci sed by the

, ,

li t eral Ma son s of real life naturally brough t the two orders ,

into som e connec t ion with each other They were thu s .

enabled t o reali se to t heir eyes the sy m bols o f their own

Th e na m e o f Hi ra m wa s und e rsto o d b y t h e e ld er Fre e m a so ns a s

a n a na g ra m : H I
. . R A M m e a n t Ho m o J e sus Re d e m pt o r Anim a ruM
. . . .

Ot h e rs e xpl a in e d t h e n a m e Ho m o J e sus Re x Al tissi m us Mun d i .

O th ers a dd de a C t o t h e Hira m in o rd er t o m a k e i t C Hrist us J e sus

, ,

etc .

I Se e t h e cco unt o f th e se p ill a rs in t h e l et B o o k o f Kings vii

'
a , .

1 42 2 , Wh e re it is sa id
An d t h ere st o o d up o n t h e p ill a rs a s i t we re
Co m p a re 2 n d B o o k o f C hro n iii 1 7

Roses . . . .
 O
R S I C R UCI A N S AND FREEMA SONS . 20 7

a l legorie s and t h e sam e building which accom m oda t ed t h e

guild o f builders in their professional m ee tings o ff ered a
de sirable mean s o f secret a sse m blies to the early Free
m a sons A n apparatus of impl e m ents and uten sils such
.

a s were pre sented in the f abulous sepulchre o f Father

R o sy cro ss were here actually brought t oge t her
,
And .

accordingly it is upon record that the rst form al and

,

s olem n lod e o f Free m a son s o n occa sion O f which t he very

g ,

na m e o f Free m a sons w a s r s t publicly m ade known w a s ,

held in Mas on s Hall Ma son s Alley Ba sin gh a ll S tree t

,

, ,

London in the year 1 6 4 6 Into thi s lodge i t w a s that

, .

A sh m ole t he A n t iquary wa s ad m it t ed Priva t e meetings .

t here m a y doubtle ss have been be f ore ; and once a t War

ring ton (half way be t ween Liverpool and Manche st er) is
-

expre s sly mentioned in the life o f A shm ole ; bu t the na m e

o f a Free m a s on s Lodge with all the insignia attribu t es , , ,

and circu m st ance s O f a lodge rst ca m e forward in the ,

page O f h is t ory o n t he occa sion I have m entioned I t is .

perhap s in requi t al o f t he service s a t that tim e rendered

in the loan o f t h eir hall etc tha t the guild of Ma son s as a ,
.
,

body and where t hey are no t individually Obj ectionable

, ,

enjoy a precedency o f all orders of m e n in the righ t t o

ad m i ssion and pay only h a lf fee s Ashmole by the way
,
.
, ,

whom I ha v e j u st m en t ioned a s o n e o f t he earlie st Free

ma son s appears fro m h is writings to have been a zealous
,

R o sicrucian *
O ther me m bers o f the lodge were Thomas
.

Wharton a phy sician George Whar t on O ugh t re d t he

, , ,

m athe m a t ician Dr Hewi tt Dr Pears on the divine and

,
.
, .
,

Wh A h m l p k f t h tiq ity f Fr m ry h i t
en s o e s ea s o e an u o ee a so n ,
e s o

b u d
e t d ith r c f u di g t h
n e rs o o d r f ph il ph ic m
e e as on o n n e or e o o so a so ns

wit h th t f t h h adi r f t m
o ( m yh v d ) e im pl y an c a aso n s as an a e o ne , or s as

sp ki g t h l g g f R icru i wh ( w h v h w ) c ry
ea n e an ua e o os c a n s, o as e a e s o n ar

up th i t d i ti l pr t i t Ad m t h t p f
e r ra o na f th e e ns o n s o a , as e rs ro e ssso r o e
 20 8 R 0 5]CR UCI A N S AND FRE E MA SONS .

William Lily the principal astrologer of the day Al l .

members it mu st be observed had annually assem bled to

, ,

hold a festival o f astrologers bef ore they were connected

into a lodge bearing the ti tle o f Fr ee mason s This pre v ious .

connection had no doubt paved the way for the latte r .

I shall now sum up th e resul t s o f my inquiry in to the

origin and nature of Freemasonry and shall then conclude ,

with a brief notice of o n e or two collateral questions growi n g

o u t of popular errors on the main o n e .

I The original Fr e e m asons were a soci e ty that arose o u t

.

o f the R osicrucian mania certainly within the t hirteen ,

years from 1 6 33 to 1 6 4 6 and probably between 1 6 33 and ,

1 64 0 Their obj ect was m a g ic in t he cabbali st ic sense

.

i e th e o ccu lt wisd o m transmitted from the beginning o f

. .
,

the world and m atured by C hri st ; to communicat e this

,

wh e n they had i t to search for it wh e n t hey had it n o t :

,

and both under an oath o f secrecy .

II This obj ect o f Fr e emasonry was repre sente d under

.

the for m of S olomon s Temple as a type o f the t rue

C hurch whose corner sto n e is C hrist

,
This Temple is to be -
.

built o f m e n o r living stones and the tru e m ethod and art

,

O f building with m e n it is the province o f m a g ic to teach .

Hence it is that all the masonic symb ol s ei t her refer t o

S ol omon s Temple o r are gurative modes o f expre ssing

,

the ideas and doctrines o f m a g ic in th e sense o f the

R o sicrucian s a n d their mystical predecessor s in general
,
.

II I The Freema sons having once adopt e d symbols etc

. , .
,

from the art o f m asonry t o which they were led by th e ,

secre t wisd o m . l
I n F o re nce , abo ut the y e ar 151 2, th e re were t wo
so ci e ti e s (t h e Comp a gn ia d el l a (Ja z z n o la a nd the Co mp a gn ia de l
Paja o lo ) wh o a ssum e d th m e a so n s

h am me r th eir sig n : b ut t h e se
as

were m ere l y co nvivia l club s. Se e t h e li f e of J F Rustici in V a sa ri

. .

V ite de i Pit to ri, e t c. Ro m a : 1 7 60 , p . 76 .

2 10 R O S I CR UCI A N S AN D FREEMA S ON S .

should interfe re with the most extensive co operation in

their plans except such di ff erences about the e ssentials o f
religion as m u st m ake a ll sincere co O peration i m po ssible -
.

Thi s f a ct is so little known and is so e m inen tly honourab le ,

to the S pirit o f Freem a sonry that I shall trouble the reader ,

with a lon ger q uotation in proof of it t han I should other

wise have allowed my self Fludd in h is S u m m u m Bo n u m .
,

(E pilo g p say s,
.

Q uo d si cu j u i t
q uee ra t ur
s s n r e l igi o n is q u i m y st ica i st a S cript u r

a rum int e rpre t a t io n e p o ll e n t

,

viz a n Ro m a n aa L ut h e ra nae Ca lvin

ia nzn e t c
,, , ,

ve l h a b e a n t n e i p si re l igi o n e m a l iq ua m sib i ipsis pe cul ia re m

e t a b a l iis d i vi sa m ?
.
,

Fa cill im um erit ipsis re spo n d e rs : N a m c u m ,

o m n es C h ri stia ni cuj uscu n q u e re l igio nis

, t e n d a n t a d un a m e a n d e m
,

m e ta m (viz ip sum C h rist um q ui e st so l a ve ritas) in h o c qui d e m

una nim i co nse nsu il l se o m nes re ligio ne s co n ve niun t At verb q ua
.
, , ,

.
,

te nus re l igi o n es ist ae in cere m o niis E ccl esiae e xt ernis h um a nis n em pe ,

in ve n t io n ib us (cuj usm o d i su n t h a b itus varii Mo n a ch o rum e t Po n t i

c um crucis a do ra t io i m a gi n a m a ppro b a t io ve l ab n egatio l um inum

d e n o ct e a cce n sio e t innit a a l ia ) d iscre p are vid e n t ur
, , ,

,
h ae qui d e m ,

d isce pt a t io n es sun t prce ter e sse nt ia l e s verse sa p i e ntes m ys t icse l eg e s .

VFreema sonry as it honoured all forms of C hri stianity

.
, ,

deeming t h e m approxi m a t ions more o r less remote to the

'

ide al truth so it ab strac t ed from a ll forms o f civil polity as

,

alien from it s own obj ects which according t o t heir briefe st , ,

ca ll s it t h e f irst wo rk p erh a p s since t h e earl iest d a y s o f Christia nity

, , ,

t o t e a c h t h e a rt o f d iff erin g h arm l e ssl y N o w in t h e pl a ce wh ere

in t h e l if e o f J ere m y Ta y l o rp erh a p s it
.
,

t h i s a ssertio n is m a d e
is vi rtua ll y a j ust a sserti o n : f o r i t ca nn o t a ff e ct t h e cl a i m s o f J ere m y
Ta y l o r th a t h e wa s a n tici p a te d b y a ut h o rs wh o m in a l l p ro b a b il ity h e
n e ver rea d n o d o ub t h e o we d t h e d o ctri ne t o h is o wn c o m pre h e n si v e

i nte ll e ct a n d t h e C h ristia n m a gna ni m ity o f h is na ture Yet in a .

,

h istory o f t h e d o ctrine itsel f i t sh ould no t b e o verl o ok e d th at t h e

,

S u m m u m Bo nu m prec e d e d t h e L iberty of Prophecy ing b y eigh te e n

y ears .
 R OS I CR UCI A N S AND FR EEMA S ON S . 2 11

expressions are l The glory o f God ; 2 The service o f

, . .

men .

V I There is n othi n g in th e imagery mythi ritual or

.
, , ,

purpo se s o f t he elder Free m asonry which m a y not be traced

to t he rom ance s o f Father R o sy cro ss a s given in the Fa m a
,

Fra ter n i ta tis .

CO N C LU S I O N .

I T H A T the O bj ec t of the elder Freemason s was not to

.

build Lord Bacon s imaginary Temple o f S olomon

This was o n e of the hypotheses advanced by N icolai the

Hou se o f S olomon which Lord Bacon had sketched in h is
,

romantic c t ion o f the i sland o f Bensalem (N ew A tlanti s) ,

N icolai suppo se d that the elder Free m asons had soug h t t o

reali se and that forty years af t erward s they had changed
t he Baconian house o f S olomon into the spiritual type
o f S olo m on s temple

Whoever has read t h e N ew At la n tis
.

of Bacon and is otherwise acquainted wi t h the relation s

,

in which this great man stood to the literature o f his

o wn ti m es will di s cover in this ro m ance a gigan t ic sketch
,

from the hand o f a mighty scientic intellect that had ,

s oared far above his age and someti m e s o n the heigh t s

, ,

to which he had attained indulged in a dream of what ,

might be accomplished by a rich state under a wi se governor

for the advancement o f th e art s and scienc e s This ske t ch .
,

agreeably to the tast e of h is c e ntury he d elivered in t he

'

form of an allegory and feigned an i sland o f Ben sale m

, ,

upon which a socie ty com posed on h is model had exi sted

, ,

f o r a thousand years under the name o f S olomon s hou se ;

f o r th e lawgiver O f this i sland who was also the founder of

,

the society had been indebted to S olomon f o r his wi sd o m

,
.
Z I 2 R OS I CR UCI A N S AND FREE MA S ON S .

The obj ect o f this society was th e extension of physical

sci e nc e : o n which account it was called the C ol l ege o f the
Work o f S ix Days R oman c e as all this w a s it l ed to
.
,

very b e necial re sults ; f o r it occasion e d in th e end the

establishment of the R oyal S ociety o f London which for ,

nearly two c e nturies has continued to m erit i m mortal

honour in th e depart m ent o f phy sics Allegory however .
, ,

it con t ains non e except in its id e a and n am e Th e house

, .

o f S olomo n is neith e r mor e nor l e ss th a n a gr e at academy

of learn e d m e n authorised and supported by th e state

, ,

and e ndowe d with a liberality approaching to profusio n for

all purposes of experim e nt and res e arch Be ne ce ne e .
,

e ducation of th e young support of th e sick cosmopolitis m

, , ,

are n o t the obj ects o f thi s institution Th e society is .

divided into classe s according t o th e diff erent Obj e cts of

their studies : but it has no hi gher n o r low e r degrees .

N one but learn e d men can be members ; not as in the ,

masonic societies e very dece nt workman who is su i

,

O nly the exoteric knowl e dg e of natur e not the e so t eric , ,

is pursued by th e hou se o f S olo m on Th e book o f the

.

Six Days is studied as a book that lies open before every

man s eyes by the Fr e ema sons it was studied a s a m y stery

which was to be illuminated by th e light out of the E as t .

Had the Freemasons d e signed to represent or to imitate

the hou se O f S olomon in th e ir society they would certainl y
,

hav e adopte d the forms constitution costum e and

, , ,

attributes o f that house as described by Bacon They .

would hav e exerted themselves to produce o r to procure

a philosophical apparatus such as that house is repre sented
as pos sessing ; o r would at least have delineated thi s
apparatus upon their carpets by way of symbols But .

nothing o f all this was e ver done N o mile deep cellars

.
-

no mil e high tow e rs no lake s marshe s or foun t ains no

-

, , , ,
 2 14 R OS I CR UCI AN S AND FREEMA S N S O .

re storation o f the Princ e o f Wales af t erward s Kin g ,

C harles II to the thron e O f E ngland

.
, The members o f t h e
.

Masonic u nion says he were hostile t o the parlia m ent and

, ,

to C romwell and friendly to the R oyal family Af ter the

, .

death o f C harl e s I (1 64 9) several people o f rank united

.

them sel v es wi t h t he Freemasons because under this ma sk ,

they could a s sembl e and determin e o n their future

measures They found means t o establish wi t hin thi s
.

society a
secret conclave
whi ch held m e etings apart
from the ge neral meetings This conclave adopted secret
.

signs expre ssive o f it s grief for its murdered ma ster o f its ,

hope to r e v e nge h im o n his murderers and o f its search ,

f o r the lost word o r logos (the so n ) a n d its de sign t o ,

him o n h is father s throne A S fai t hful

re e stabli sh
-
.

adherents of t he Royal family who se head t he Q ueen had ,

now become they cal l ed themselve s so ns of the wid o w In

,
.

this way a secret connection wa s e stablish e d amongst all

person s attached to th e R oyal fam ily as well in Great ,

Bri t ain and Ireland as in France and the N etherland s ,

w h ich s ub si st e d until after the death o f C romwell and had ,

the well known i ssue for the royal cau s e Th e analogies

-
.

allege d by N icolai between the hi storical events in t he

rst period O f Freema sonry and t he sy m bol s a n d
O f the masonic degree o f master are certainly very
ordinary ; and o n e might ea sily be led t o supp
the higher obj ect o f ma sonry had passed into a
Object and that the pre sent m a ster s degree was
,

m ore t han a gura t i v e memorial o f t hi s even t M .

the weightiest historical rea son s are so en t irely opposed t

thi s hypothesis that it m ust evidently be pronounced
,

mere conceit o f Mr N icolai s .

1 History m en tio n s n o thin g a t a ll of a ny 19

.

" t he F m a so n s i n the tra n sa ct io ns of t ho se

q ) re e
 R O S I CR UGIA I V S A N D FREE MA S O N S . 21 5

hav e the m o st accurate and minu t e account s of all t he othe r

political partiesthe Pre sbyterians the I ndependents t he , ,

Leveller s etc etc : but no hi storian o f thi s period has so

, .
, .

m uch as mentioned the Freema sons I s it credible t hat a

.

society which is represented a s t he centre O f the coun t er

,

revolutionary faction should ha v e escaped t he j ealous eye

,

o f C romwell who had brought the sy stem o f esp i o n a g e to

,

perfection and who carried his v igilance so far a s to seize

?
,

the O cea n a O f Harring t on at the pre ss He mu st ha v e

been well a ssured that Freem a sonry was harmless ; or he
would not have wanted mean s to de stroy it wi t h all i t s
preten sions and mysterie s Moreover it is a pure fancy of
.
,

Nico l a i s that the elder Freema sons were all favourably

di sposed to the R oyal cause E ngli sh club s I ad m i t are

.
, ,

accu st o m ed to harmoni se in their political principles : bu t

the soci e ty o f Freem a son s whose true O bj ect ab stracted
,

from all poli t ic s m ust have made an exception to this rule

,

then as cer t ainly as they d o now

,
.

2 T h e m a so n ic d egr ee of m a st er a n d i n d e ed Freem a so n ry
.
,

i n g en era l is i n d irect co n t ra d icti o n t o this hyp o th esi s of

,

N ico la i . It mu st be granted to me by tho se who maintain

t hi s hypothesi s that t he order o f the Freemasons had
a ttained some con si stence in 1 6 4 6 (in which year Ash m ole
was admitted a me m ber) con sequently about three years
,

before t he execution o f C harle s I It follows t herefore .

, ,

upon thi s hypothe sis that i t m ust have exi sted for so m e
,

years without any ground o r obj ect of its exi stence I t .

pretended a s yet to no my stery according to N icolai ,

(though I ha v e shown t hat at i t s very earlie s t form ation

i t made such a pret en sion) it purs ued nei t her s cience ar t , ,

nor t rade : social plea sure was not its Object : it m asoned
my st eriou sly with close d doors in it s hall at London ; and

no man can guess at wh a t it masoned It con st ituted a .
2 16 R OS I CR UCI AN S AND FR EEM A S ON S .

mystery (a guild ) wi t h thi s contradictio n in a dj

e cto ,

that it consisted not o f m asters j ourneymen and a ppre n , ,

tices for the master s degr e e according to N icol ai was

, ,

rst devise d by the conclave af te r th e e xe cution o f C harles

I. Thus far the incon si stencies o f this hypothesis are
palpable : but in what follows it will appear that there
are still more striking on e s Fo r if the master s degree
.
,

arose rst after th e e xecution o f C harles I and symbolically .

,

i m ported vengeance o n th e murderers of their master and

re st oration o f his so n to th e royal dignity in that ca se ,

d uring the two Protec t orate s and for a long time after the
,

abdication o f R ichard the myth u s connected with t hat

,

degree might indeed hav e spoken o f a m urdered master ,

b u t n o t also (as it does ) O f a ma ster risen again living and , ,

triu m phant : for as yet matter s had not been brought thus
far If to this it be repli e d that perhaps in fact t he case
.

w a s really so and tha t the mythus o f the re stored m a ster

,

might have been a d ded to that o f the slain ma ster after the
R e st oration there will be still t hi s d ii cu l t y that in the
, ,

ma sonic mythu s the t w o m asters are o n e and the sa m e per son

w h o is r s t slain and then restored to life ; yet C harle s I .
,

who w a s slain did not ari s e again from the dead ; and
,

C harle s II though he was re stored to h is throne was yet

.
, ,

n ever slain and therefore could not e ven metaphorically

be said t o ri se again *
S uitin g there for e to neither o f the se
.

B e gging Pro fe sso r Buh l e s p ard o n h e is wro ng in th is p articul a r

,

a rgu m e n t t h o ugh n o d o ub t righ t in t h e m a i n p o i n t h e is urgi n g

a ga i nst N ico l a i : t h e m ere p a ssio n o f t h e ca se wo uld v e ry n a tura ll y

exp re ss t h e i d e n tity o f int erest in a ny f a t h e r a n d so n b y a ttri b uti ng

i d e ntity t o th e ir p erso n s a s th o ugh t h e f a th er l ive d a ga in a n d

,

trium ph e d in t h e trium ph o f h is so n B ut in t h e ca se o f a n E ngl ish

.

kin g wh o ne ver dies qa o a d h is O fce th ere is n o t o nl y a p a th o s b ut a

, ,

ph il o so ph ic a ccuracy a nd d elity t o t h e co nstitutio na l d o ctri ne in th is

wa y o f sy m b o l isin g t h e st o ry .
 2 18 O
R S I CR UCI A N S AND FR EEMA S ON S .

to be found as in o u r days t he French R oyali st s ha v e

always known t he re sidence o f the emigrant Bourbon s
Th e que stion was no t where to nd h im but how t o
.

replace him on h is throne Be sides though a mo st

.
,

majestic person in his political rela t ions a Prince O f Wale s ,

makes no e special preten sions to sanc t i ty o f character : and

familiar as scriptural allusions were in that age I doub t ,

whe t her he could have been denominated the log o s o r wor d

wi t hout O ff ence to the scrupulo us austerity o f that a ge in
matte rs of religion W hat was it then t hat the Free m a sons
?
.

really did mean by the lo st word Manifestly the m a sonic

my ste ry itsel f the secret wisdom d e liv e red to us under a
,

gurative veil through Moses S olomon the Prophets the, , ,

Grand Master C hri st and his condential di sciples Briey

-

,
.
,

they me a n t the lost word o f God in the C abbalistic se nse

and therefore it was t hat long af t er the R estoration they
continued t o seek it and are s till seeking it to this day
, .

III That C ro m well was not the founder o f Freemasonry :

.

As N icolai h a s chosen to represent the elder Freemasons

as z e alou s R oyalist s so o n the contrary others have thought
,

t to describe them as furious De m ocrats A ccording t o .

this ction C ro m well wi th so m e condential friend s

, ,

Ireton A lgernon S idney N eville Martin W ildman Har

, , , ,

rington etc ) founded the order in 1 6 4 5O sten sibly on t he

,
.
,

part o f C romwell for t he purpos e o f reco n ciling the co n

,

tending partie s in religion and politics but really with a ,

vie w to his o wn am bitiou s proj ects To t his s t ate m ent I.

O ppose th e followi n g argument s

Fir st it contradict s the internal character and spirit o f
,

Free m a sonry which is free from all political tendency ,

and is wholly unintelligible o n thi s hypo t he sis .

S econdl y though it is unquestionable that C ro m well

,

establish e d and supported many secret connections yet the ,

 R OS I CR UCI AN S AND FREEMA S ON S . 2 19

be st E ngli sh hi storian s record nothing of any connec t ion

which he had wi t h the Free m a sons Divi d e ci im p era was .

t he Machiavellian maxi m which C romwell deri v ed not from ,

Machiavel but from his o wn native political sagacity and

,

wi t h such an obj ect before h im i t is very lit tle likely that

he w ould have sought t o connec t hi m self with a society tha t
aim s a t a general har m ony amongst men .

Thirdly how ca m e it if the order O f Free m asons were

,

the in strumen t of the C ro m wellian revolu t ion that t he

R oyali s ts d id n o t exert t hemselve s after the re storation of
C harle s II t o s uppre ss i t. ?
But the fact is that thi s origin of Freema sonry has been
,

forged for the purpo se O f m aking it hateful and an obj ect o f

su spicion to monarchical states S ee for exa m ple The .
, ,

Freem ason s A nnihilated o r Pro secution o f t he detec t ed

,

O rder of Free m a son s Frankfort and L e ipz ic 1 7 4 6 The
, , .

r st part O f this work which is a tran sla t io n from t he

,

French appeared under the title o f Free m asonry exposed
,

,

etc L e ipz 1 7 4 5
.
, . .

IV That the S cotch degree as it is called did n o t ari se

.
, ,

from t h e intrigue s for the re storation o f C harle s II

I have no intention to enter upon t he tangled web o f the
modern higher masonry ; though f ro m an i m partial study ,

o f the hi storical document s I could perhap s bring m ore,

light order and connection into t his subj ect t han at present
, ,

it exhibi t s Many p e r sonal con sideration s move m e to le t

.

t he curtain drop o n t he hi st ory O f the modern higher

m asonry or at m o s t t o allow m y self only a few general
,

hin t s which m a y be pur sued by tho se a m ongst m y reader s

,

who may be in t ere sted in such a re search O n e only o f the

higher ma sonic degreesviz the S cotch degree which is
.

.
, ,

the m ost fa m iliarly known and is adopted by most lodges , ,

I mus t notice m ore circumstantia llybecause u pon so m e ,

22o R OS I CE U CI AN S AND FREEMA S ON S .

statem ents which have been m ade it might see m to have ,

been connected with the elder Freemasonry N icolai s .

account o f this matter is as follows

A fter the death O f C ro m well and the deposition of h is
so n , the government o f E ngl and fell into the hands of a
violent but weak and disunited faction In such hands as .
,

every patriot sa w the government could not be durable ;

,

and the sole mean s for delivering the country was to restor e
t he kingly authority But in this t here was t he gr e ate st
.

difculty ; for the principal O fcers o f th e army in E ngland ,

though otherwise in di sagreement with e ach o t her were yet ,

unanim ous in their hostility to the king U nder these .

circum stances the e yes of all parties were turned upon the
E nglish army in S cotland at that tim e under the command
,

o f Monk who was privately well a ff ected to t he R oyal cau se ;

,

and the secret socie t y o f the king s friend s in London who ,

placed all their hopes on h im sa w the nece ssi t y in such a

,

critical period o f going warily and mysteriously to work .

I t s tren gthened their sen se o f this necessitythat on e o f ~

t heir o wn m e m ber s S ir R ichard W illis beca m e susp e cted

, ,

of t reachery ; and ther e fore out O f th e bo som o f their

secret conclave (the masonic master s degree ) they resol v ed

to form a still narrower conclav e to whom the S cotch
the mo st secret a ff airs should be conded They cho se new .

symbols a d apted to their o wn e xtrem ely critical situation .

The se symbols imported that in the b u sin e ss o f thi s interior

,

concla v e wi sdom obedience courageself sa crice and

,
-

modera t ion were neces sary Their motto was Wisd o m

.

a bo ve t h ee. For greater securi ty they altered their signs ,

and reminded each other in their tottering condition not to

stumble and brea k th e a rm
.

I do not deny that th e re is much plau sibility in thi s

hypothe sis O f N icolai s : but upon e xamination it will

222 R OS I CR UCI A N S A ND FR EEMA S ON S .

General Monk was a member o f i t But in this ass ertion .

O f R am say s there is at any rate o ne m anife st untruth on

N icolai s o wn s howing ; for Monk according to N icol ai

, ,

was not a Free m a son The m a n who begin s by such an .

*
error in h is pre m i s e s m u st naturally err in h is conclu sion s .

4 The S cotch degreema y t he very na m e O f S cotch

.
,

m a sonry does not once come for ward in the elder Free
m a sonry throughout t he whole of the seventeen t h cen t ury ,

as it mu st inevitably h ave done if it had borne any relation

to the res t oration of C harle s I I Indeed it is doub t ful .
,

whether the S co t ch degree w a s known even in S cotland or

in E ngland befor e the third decenniu m o f the eighteenth
century
?
.

But how then did thi s degree arise What is its mean
ing and obj ect ?
The answer to th e se q uestions does not
belong to t hi s place It is enough o n the presen t occa sion .

to have shown how it did n o t ari se and wha t were n o t its ,

meaning and obj ec t I am here treating O f t he origin and .

hi story o f the elder and legiti m ate m asonry not o f an inde ,

cen t pretender who crept at a later period into the order ,

An dr w e Mich a e l h b t l iv d
Ra m sa y wa s a h
S co tc m a n b y b irt , u e

ch i y i Fr
e wh n a n ce , ll k w
e re h e b e c a m e a hl
C a t o ic, a n d is we no n as

th uth r f Th Tr v l f Cyr
e a o o d th w ke Hi d i r
a e s o u s,

an o er o r s. s sse

t ti
a t h Fr m
en on c t i t h l d l g d th t F m
e ee a so n s ry o n a ns e O e en a re e a so n

d t d it igi f r m guild f w k i g m
a e s or n owh id d d i g
a O or n a so n s, o re s e ur n

th c
e d i t h H l y L d f t h pu p
ru sa es n f r b uild i g t h
e o an or e r o se o e n e

C h i ti
r s ch u h d t y d b y t h S c
an rc es d w f t w rd
e s ro e e a ra e n s, an e re a er a s

sum m d b y k i g f E gl d t h i d m i i
o ne a nA tut r t t h
o n an o s o n o ns . s o o e

tw f t h Pr t d r f
o so n s o wh h w t
e Th T v l
e en fe , or o se u se e ro e

e ra e s o

C yru R m y is,

di ti gui h d p
a sa i t h h i t ry f t h l t r
s a s n s e e rso n n e s o o e a e

F m re e y O f ll t h t p t f it h i t y wh ich l y h l f c tu y
a so nr . a a ar o s s or a a -
a- en r

b f hi
e o re w ti m h ws o h w v r v y ill i f rm d O t hi h
n e, e a s, o e e , er -
n o e . n s e

g iv es t h i g b t t h c t f t h l t r E gl i h l dg wh h d
us no n u e an o e a e n s o e s, o a

l t t h k r l i t h h ll t h igi l
os e e ne nc d bj ct f m
e s ery e or na e ss e n e a n o e o a so n

i it f r m
n s rl y t h b gi i g f t h ig ht th c tury
o as ea as e e nn n o e e e en en .
 R OS I CR UCI AN S AND FR EE MA S ON S . 223

and by the side of t he Lion the Pelicanand the Dove

, ,

in t roduced the Ape a n d the Fox .

V . The Free m a sons are not derived fro m t he order of

the Kn ights Te m plar s
N o hypothesi s upon the origin and primi t ive tendency o f
t he Free m ason s has obtained m ore cr e dit in mo d ern t i m e s
than thi sTha t t hey were deriv e d from t he order o f
Knigh t s Templar s so cruelly persecuted and ruined under
,

Pope C le m en t V and Philip the Fair o f France and had no

.
,

o t her s ecret purpose on their rst appearance than the

re e stabli sh m ent o f that inj ured order S O much inuence .

h a s this opinion had in France t hat in the r s t half of the

eigh t eenth century it led t o the a m algamation o f the ex
ternal for m s and ritual o f t he Tem plars wi t h tho se o f the
Freema sons ; a n d some o f t he higher degrees of French
m as onry have undoubtedly proceeded fro m this a m algama
tion In Ger m any it was Le ssing who if not rs t ye t
.
, , ,

chiey ga v e to the learned world an intere st in t his hypo

,

the sis by so m e allu sions to it s cat t ered through h is m a sterly

dialogue s f o r Freema sons With many i t b ecam e a f a
.

v o u rit e hypo t he si s f o r it a ssigned an honourable origin t o

the Ma sonic order a n d a t tered the vani ty o f it s members
, .

The Templars were o n e o f the mo st cel ebrated knigh tly

o rder s during the cru sades : their whole I n sti t u t ion A c t s
, ,

and Tragical Fate are a t trac t ive to the feelings and the
f ancy : how natura l therefore it w a s that the modern
, ,

mason s should seize with enthusia sm upon the conj ectures

thrown o u t by Le ssing S ome modern E ngli sh writers
.

have also adopted t his mod e of exp l aining the origin O f

Freem a sonry ; n o t so much o n the au t hority o f any his t orical
docu m ent s as because t hey found in t he French lodges
,

degree s which had a manifes t reference to the Te m plar

in st i t utions and which they naturally a t tribute d t o the
,
224 ROSICE UCI AN S A N D FRE E MA s 0 1vs .

elder Fre emasonry b eing ignorant that they had been pur
,

o se l y introduced at a later period to serve a n hypothesis

p
in fact the French degrees had be e n originally derived fro m
,

the hypo t hesis ; a n d now the hypo t hesi s was in turn deri v ed
fro m the French degre e s If in all this th e re were any
.

word o f truth i t would follow that I had writt e n this whole

,

book o f 4 1 8 pages to no purpose : and what a shocking

thing would that be ! Knowing ther e fore the importance
to my self o f this q u e stion it may be pre sumed that I have
,

examined it n o t negligently b efore I ventured to bring

,

forward my o wn deduction o f t h e Freemasons from th e

R osicrucians This is n o t the place for a full critique upon
.

all th e idle prattle about th e Templars a n d the Freemasons :

but an impartial review of the arg umen ts for and against
th e T e mplar hypothesis may reasonably h e demanded o f m e
as a negative att e statio n o f m y o wn hypothe sis In doing .

this I must presum e in my reader a general ac quaintance

with th e con stitution and hi story of the Te m plars which it ,

will be very easy for any one not already in po sse ssion o f it
to gain .

1 I t is alleged t hat the masonic mystical allegory re pre

.

sented nothing else in its capital features than the persecution

and overthrow o f the Templars e specially the dreadful death
,

of the innocent Grand Ma ster James Burg de Mollay S om e

-
, .

knights together with A umont it is said made their escape

, , ,

in th e dres s o f m a sons to S cotland ; a n d for the sak e o f ,

di sgui se exercised the trade o f masons

,
This was the .

rea son that they adopt e d sym bol s from that trade ; and to ,

avoid detection gav e the m the semblanc e of moral pur

,

poses They call e d them selves Fra n c Ma go n s as well in

.
,

memory o f the Te m plars who in Palestin e were always

called Fran cs by the S arac e ns as with a view to di stingui s h
,

themselves from the common working mason s The Tem ple .

226 R OS I CR UCI AN S AND FREEMA S ON S .

altogether ctitious Thu s for in sta nce it is said that the

.
, ,

n a m e Fra n c Ma o n w as cho sen in allu sion to the co nnection

g
of the Templars with Palestin e An d thus we are required .

t o believe that the eld e st Freemasons o f Great Britain styled

themselves at rst Frank Ma sons : a s if this had any
warran t from hi story o r supposing even that it had as if
, ,

a name a d opted o n such a ground could ever hav e b ee n

dropped The si m ple fact isthat t he French were the
.

people who rst introduced t he se e ming allusion to Franks

by translatin g th e E ngli sh name Fr eem a son into Fra n c
Ma go n which they did because the world libre would not
so ea sily bl e nd into co m position w ith the word Magon SO .

also the late Mr V o n Born having occasion t o express th e

.
,

word Freemasons in Latin rendered it Franco m u ra rii ,

-
.

N o t to detain th e reader how e v e r with a s e parate e xa m in

, ,

ation o f each particular all e gation I will content myself ,

with observing that the capita l m y thus o f th e mas onic

maste r s degre e tallies but in o n e half with the execution of

-

the Grand Maste r o f the Templars o r even o f th e S ub Prior

-
,
-

o f Mo n tfaucon (C harles de Monte C arm el ) The Grand .

Master was inde e d murdered as the Grand Master O f the ,

-

Freemasons is describ e d t o have been ; but not a s the ,

latter by treacherous j ourneymen : m oreover the lat t er

, ,

ro se from th e grave still lives and triumphs ; which will

, ,

hardly be said o f Ja m e s Burg de Mollay Two arguments .

,

however remain to be no t iced both o u t o f respect t o the

, ,

literary e m inence o f thos e who have alleged them and ,

also becau se th e y see m intrin sically o f som e weigh t .

2 The E nglish word m a s on ry

. This wor d o r (as i t .
,

ought in that case to be written ) the word m a so n y is ,

d eriv e d according to Le ssing fro m the Anglo S axon word -

m a sso n eya secret commensal society ; which last word

, ,

a gain com e s from m a se a tabl e S uch table societies a n d

, .
 O
R S I CR UCI A N S A N D FR EEMA S ON S . 227

w e re v e ry common amongst o u r forefathers

co m po t u se s

e specially amongst the prince s and knights o f the middle

age s ; th e weightiest a ff airs where ther e transacted and ,

peculiar buildings were appropriated to t heir use In .

par t icular the m a so n i es o f the Knights Templar s were

,

highly celebrat e d in th e thirteenth century O n e o f t hem .

wa s still sub si sting in London at the end o f the seventeenth

centurya t which period according to Le ssing t he public
, ,

hi st ory o f th e Free m a sons rst commences Thi s society .

had its house o f mee t ing near S t Paul s C athedral which

.

,

was then rebuilding S ir C hri stoph e r Wren the archit e ct

.
, ,

was o n e o f its member s For thir ty years during the

.
,

building o f the cathedral he continued to frequent it

'

, .

From this circumstance the people who had forgo tt en the ,

true meaning of the word m a sso n ey took it for a society o f

,

architects wi th whom S ir C hristopher consulted o n a ny

difculties which arose in the progress o f the work This .

mi st ake Wren turned t o account He had formerly .

assi sted in planning a society w hich should m ake speculative

truth s more u seful for purpo ses o f co m mon life Th e very .

convers e o f thi s idea n o w oc curred t o him viz the idea o f .

,

a society which should raise it self from the praxis o f ci v il

life t o speculation . In the former t hought he would , ,

be exa m ined all tha t w a s u seful among st the t rue in thi s ,

all that is true amongst the u seful How if I should m ake

?
.

s ome principles o f the m a so n ry exoteric How if I should

di sgui se that which cannot be m ade exoteric under the
hieroglyphic s and sy m bol s o f m a so n ry a s t he p e ople ,

pronounce the word and ext e nd this m asonry into a Fre e

m a sonry in which all may tak e a s hare
,

In this way ? ,

according to L e s sing d id Wren scheme ; and in this way

,

did Fre m a so nry arise A fterward s however from a con

.
, ,

versation which he had with N icolai it appears that ,

 R OS I CR UCI A N S AND FREEMA S ON S .

L essing had thus far changed h is r st O pinion (as giv en in

the E rnst a n d Fa lls) that he no longer suppos e d S ir
C hristopher si m ply to have modied a m a sson ey or s ociety ,

o f Knights Te m plars which had subsisted secr e tly for many

,

centuries and to have translated their doctrines into an

,

exoteric shape but rather to hav e himself rst establi shed

,

such m a sso n ey upon som e basis of analogy however with , ,

the elder m a sso n eys .

To an attentive exa m iner of this conjectur e of Lessin g s

,

it will appear that it res t s entirely upon th e pre sumed

identity of meaning b e tween the word m a sson ey and the
word m a so n y (or masonry as it afterwards became accord ,

ing to the allegation through a popular mistake o f the

,

meani n g) Bu t the v e ry meaning and ety m ology a scribed

.

to m a sso n ey a s e cr e t club o r co mp o tu s from m a se a , ,

table ) are open t o much doubt N icolai a friend of .

,

Le ssing s professes as little to know any authority for
,

s uch a n explanation as myself and is dispos e d to derive ,

t he word m a sso n ey from m a sso n ya which in th e Latin O f

the middle ages meant r st a club (o le ca in French m a ssn e) :
,

/ ,

s econdly a key
, (cla vi s
) and a secret,
society (a club ) For .

my part I think both the e tymologi e s false Ma sson ey is .

doubtle ss originally the same word with m a iso n and m a g io n e;

and the prim itive ety m on of all thre e words is clearl y the
Latin word m a nsio in th e sense o f the m iddle ages I t means
, .

s i m ply a re sidence o r place o f abode and was naturally ,

applied t o the dwelling house o f the Templars -

Their .

m eetings were hel d in m a nsio n e T em p la ri o rm n in

t he m a sso n e y o f t h e Templars O n the suppr e s sion of the
.

order their buildings still remained and pre served the

, ,

na m es o f t e mples templar mansions etc j ust as at this day

, ,
.
,

we nd many co n s en ts in Hanov e r though th e y are no ,

long e r occupied by monks o r n uns and in Italy ther e are

2 3o RO S I CR UCI AN S AN D FREEMAS O N S .

originally between the two orders more e specially if it can

be sho wn that the two secrets are identical S orry I a m ? ,

my venerable fri e nd to answ e r N O S orry I am in your

, .
,

O ld d ay s to be under th e necessity o f knocking o n th e head

,

a darling hypothe sis o f yours which has cost yo u I doubt

not m uch labour o f study and research much thought
, ,

and I fear also many many pounds o f candles But it is

, ,
.

my duty to do so and indeed considering Mr N icolai s o l d

,
.

age and his great meri t s in regard to Ger m an literatur e it ,

would be my duty to show him no mercy but to la sh h im ,

with the utmost severity for his rotten hypothe si sif my

time would allow it Bu t t o come t o business
. The .

T e mplars says o l d N icolai had a s ecret They had so but

?
.
, ,

what was it A ccording to N icolai it con si sted in the

denial of the Trinity and in a scheme of natural religion
,

oppo sed to the dominant Popish C atholicism Hence it was .

that the Templars sought t o make themselv e s indepen d ent

of the o t her C atholic clergy ; the n ovices wer e r e q uired t o
abj ure the divinity of C hrist and ev e n to spit upon a cruci
,

x and tra m ple it under foot Their A nti Trini t arianism

, .
-

Mr N icolai ascribes to their connection with the S aracens

.
,

who alway s made the d octrine of the Trinity a m atte r o f

r e proach t o the Fran k s He supposes that during periods ,

o f truce in captivity many Te m plars had by co m m un ica

, ,

tion with learn ed Moha m m edans become e nlightened to the ,

errors and the tyranny o f Popery ; but at t he sam e ti m e

strengthening their convictions of the fal se hood o f Mahomet
a n is m th e y had retained nothing o f their religious doctrines
,

but Monotheism These heterodoxies however under the

.
, ,

existin g power of the hierarchy and the universal su pe rs t i

tion th e n pr e valent they had th e stronge st reasons for
,

comm un i cating to non e but thos e who were admitted into

the high e st degree of th e ir orderand to th e m only
 O
R S I CR UCI A N S AND FR EEMA S ON S . 2 31

s ymbolically From the s e data which may be received a s

.
,

t olerably prob a ble and confor m able to the depositions of the

witnesse s o n the trial o f the Templars o l d Mr N icolai , .

a t t e rs himself t ha t he can unriddle the m ystery o f my steri e s

viz Baphomet (Ba o m e t Ba ph e m e t o r Ba o m e t us)
.
, , ,

which was the m ain sy m bol o f the Knights Tem plars in th e

highest degre e s Thi s Baphom et was a gure repre senting
.

a human bust but so m etimes o f mon strou s and caricature

,

appearance which sy m boli sed t he highest O bject o f t he

,

Templars and therefore upon t he m eaning o f Bapho m e t

hinges the explanation o f the great Te m plar mys t ery .

First then Mr N icolai tell s u s what Baphomet was n o t

, ,
. .

I t was not Mohammed A ccording t o t he geniu s o f the .

Arabic language out o f Moham m ed might be made Mahome t

o r Ba h o m e t but not B a pho m e t
,
In some La tin hi st orian s .

about the period o f t he C ru sades Ba h o m e t is ce rtainly u sed ,

for Maho m et and in one writer perhaps Bapho m et (viz in

,
.

the Ep isto la Anselm i de Ri bo d i m o n te a d Ma n a ssem Archi e

p is cop wm R em e n sem of the year 1 0 9 9 in D a ch e r s S i ci
y p ,

legiu m t om ii p 4 31
, . Se q u e n t i die auror a apparente
. .
,

altis v o cib u s Baph om e t in v o ca v e run t e t nos Deum no strum

in co rd ib u s n o st ris deprecante s im pe t u m f e cim u s in e o s e t ,

de muris civitatis omne s N icolai suppo sing ,

t hat the cry o f the S aracens w a s in this ca se addre ssed t o

their o wn prophet conclude s that Ba ph o m et is an error of
,

the pre ss for Ba ho m et and tha t this is put for Ma ho m e t ,

.

Bu t i t is po ssible that Ba pho m e t may be the true reading

for it may not ha ve been used in devotion for Mahomet but ,

sc o fn gl y as the kno wn watchword of the Templar s Bu t

i t contradic t s the whole history o f th e Te m plars to suppose
.

that they had introduced into their order the worship of a n

i m age of Mahom et In fact from all t he r e cord s o f their
.
,

trial and perse cution it re sult s that no such charge was ,

2 32 R O S I CR UCI AN S AND FRE E JI A S O N S .

brought against them by their en em ies A n d moreover .

, ,

Ma h o m e t a ni sm itself rej ects all worship of image s

?
.

S e condly not bein g Mahomet what was it

, I t w a s says, ,

Mr N icolai Ba gbq [1 777 8 9 i e as h e interprets it th e word

.
,
-

,
. .
, ,

Bap ho m et meant the ba ptism of wisdom and th e imag e so

called represen t e d God the u niversal Fath e r expre sse d
th e u n ity O f th e Di v ine Be ing By using this sign there .

fore u n der this name which po rt o o k much of a Gnostic and

, ,

C abbali stic spirit the Templars indicat e d th e ir dedicati o n to

,

th e truths O f natural r e ligion .

N o w in answer to t h is l e arned conc e it of Mr N icolai s

, .
,

I wo ul d wish to ask him

First in an age so barbarous as that o f the twelfth and
,

thi rteenth cen turi e s when n o t t o be able to read o r writ e

,

w as no disgrace how cam e a body of rud e warriors like th e

Templars to desce nd into th e depths o f Gnosticis m
S econdly if by th e image called Baphomet th e y meant t o
,

represent the unity o f God how cam e they to d e signate it

,

by a n am e which e xpresse s no attribute of the deity but ,

simply a mystical ceremony a m ongst th e mselv e s (viz th e

?
.
,

baptism O f wisdom )
Thirdly I will put a ho m e question t o Mr N icolai and
?
.
,

let him parry it if h e can How many h e ads had Bapho m et

His own conscien ce will replyTwo In deed a whol e .
,

length o f Baphomet is recorded which had also four feet ;

but supposing these to be disput e d Mr N icolai ca n never
, ,
.

dis pute away th e two hea ds N o w what sort of a symbol

.
,

would a two h e ad e d image have been for the expre ssion o f

?
-

u nity of being Answ e r me that Mr N icolai S urely the , . .

rudest skulls of the tw e lfth c e ntury could hav e expr e ssed

their m e aning b etter .

Having thus upset my learned broth e r s hypothe si s I

,

n o w come forward with my own Through t he illu m ination .

2 34 R OSICR UCI ANS AND FREEMA SONS .

testi fy ing th e ir abhorre n c e o f the crucix and b y worship ,

p g the sole G od of hea v en and earth

in H en c e they c alled
.

a newl y initiated m e mber a friend o f G od who c ould now

-

speak with G od if h e c hose without the int e rmedia

tion o f t h e P ope and the c hur c h Upon this e xplanation o f
.

Baphomet it b e c omes su f c ientl y plain wh y the se c ret was

,

looked upon as so in v iolabl e that e v en upon the ra c k it

c ould not be extorted from them B y su c h a c onfession the.

order would ha v e exposed itself to a still more c ru e l p e rse

c u t io n and a more ine v itable d e stru ction
, O n the oth e r .

hand upon M r N i c olai s explanation it is dif c ult t o

, .

,

c on c ei v e wh y under su c h extr e mities the a cc used should

, ,

not ha v e c onfessed t h e truth I n all probabilit y the c ourt

.

o f R ome had good in formation of the se c ret tend e n c y o f the

Templar do c trines ; and hen ce no doubt it was Pop e , ,

C l e ment V pro c eeded so f uriousl y agains t them

. .

N ow then I c ome to m y c on clusion whi c h is this : I f the

,

Knights Templars had no other s e c re t than o n e relating t o

a p o h tica l int e r e st whi c h pla c ed them in O pposition to the
Po pe and the c laims o f the R oman C atholi c c l e rgy o n the
o n e hand and to M ahomet on the otherthen it is i m o s
, p
sible that there c an ha v e been an y a fnit y o r r e semblan c e
whatso e v er between th e m and the F reemasons ; for the
F re emasons ha v e n e ve r in an y age troubled themsel v e s
abou t either M ahom e t o r the P ope P opery and M a .

h o m e t an ism are alike indi ff e rent to the F r e e masons ,

and alway s ha v e b e e n And in general the obj e c t o f the

.

F reemasons is not politi c al F inall y it is in the high e st

.
,

d e gree probable that the se c ret o f the K nights T e mplars

In j ting
re ec Ro m a n Ca th olic can d i d a tes f o r a d m issi o n int o th e ir
o rde r t h e r e a d e r m ust r e m e m b e r th a t t h e F
r e em aso n s o bj e cted t o
th e m n o t a s Ro m a n Ca t h o lics, b ut as p e rso ns o f into l e ra nt pri n cip l es
T
.

ra nsl a to r.
 R O SI CE UCI AN S AN D FRE E MASONS . 2 35

p e rished with their order : for it is making too hea vy a

demand on o ur c redulit y t o suppose that a s e c ret so c i e ty
ne ver on c e c oming within the light o f history c an ha v e
propagated its e lf through a period of four c e nturies
from t h e thirteenth to the se venteenth c entury in whi c h
,

centur y it has been shown that Freema sonry rst arose .

 K AN T O N N A T I O N A L C HA R A C T E R,

IN RE LAT I ON TO

T HE SE N S E O F T HE S U BL I ME AN D
BE A U T I FU L .

purpos e say s K ant

,

is not to portray t h e
,

c hara c ters o f di ff e rent nations in d e tail I

sk e t c h only a f e w features whi ch ma y expr e ss
,

the feel ing in those c hara c ters for the S ublime

, ,

a n d the Beautiful . I n su ch a portraiture it is e vid e nt that

onl y a tol e rabl e a ccura c y c an be demand e d that the proto
t y p e s o f the fe atures sele c t ed are prominent onl y in the
g r eat c rowd o f those that make pretensions to r e n e d
f e e lings ; and that no nation is enti rel y wanting in minds
whi c h unite the b e st qualities o f both fe e lings An y blam e .
,

th e r efo re whi c h may tou c h the c hara ct e r of a nation in the

,

c ourse o f these stri c tures ought not t o o ff e nd an y onethe

blame being of su c h a nature that e very man ma y toss o ff
t h e ball to his neighbour Whether these national distino
.

tions a re c onting e ntl y dependent o n the c olour o f t h e times

and the quality o f the go vernm e nt or a re bound to t h e
,

c li m ate b y a c ertain ne c essit y I do not here inquire

,

.
2 38 KA NT ON NA TI ONA L C HARA C TE R .

into whi c h an extra v agant degr ee o f either feeling ex clu

siv e l
y is apt to f all The taste whi c.h I ha v e attributed
to di ff erent nations is c on rm ed b y the c hoi c e whi c h the y
se v erall y make amongst the arts and s cien c es The I talian .

genius has distingui shed itsel f esp e c iall y in M usi c P ainting , ,

Sc ulpture and Ar c hite c ture

,
All these ne arts meet .

with an equall y re ned c ulture in F ran c e although their

*
,

beauty is here less t ou ching Taste in re f e ren c e t o the .

,

poeti c and rhetori c ideal tends in F ran c e more t o the ,

Beauti ful in E ngland more t o the S ublim e

,
Elegant .

playf ulness c o m edy laughing satire amorous triing and

, , , ,

the light c ursory and fu giti v e style o f writing are in

, , ,

F ran c e nati v e and original I n E ngland o n the c ontrary .

, ,

the natural produ c t of the national mind are thoughts o f

pro found m eaning traged y e pi c poetry and generall y the
, , ,

mass y gold of wit whi c h under the Fren c h hammer is beat

,

o u t to thin lea v es o f greater sur fa c e I n G erman y the .

ne thinking o f t h e nation e v en y et gleams through a

c o v ering o f false tinsel Formerl y this reproa c h exist e d
.

t o a sho c king d e gre e ; but latterl y b y better models and , ,

the good s e nse o f the p e opl e the national style has b e e n ,

rais e d to a c hara c ter o f higher gra c e and nobility ; but

the gra c e has less na i v ete than it has amongst the Fren ch ,

and the nobility not so rm and c ondent a mo vement

as it has amongst the E ngli sh The tend e n cy of the Dut c h .

taste t o a painful elaborateness o f arrangement and to

a prettiness whi c h is apt to settle into hea v iness and
,

To t h e i nj ud i cio us r ea d e r it ne e d no t b e sa i d h o w striki ngly

in o pp o si t i o n t o fa cts is Ka n t s j ud gm en t o n t h e F r e nch ta st e in t h e

F ine Arts Wh at t h e F re nch p o et r y is m o st m e n k no w : t h e F re nch

.

m u si c is t h e j e st o f E u r o p e : a n d if we e xce p t t h e si ngl e n a m e o f
P o ussi n t h e r e is no o t h e r in a ny o f t h e F i n e Arts wh ich ca n i m pre ss
,

a n y e a r with m u ch r e ve r e n ce .
 KANT O N N A TI O N A L C H ARA C TE R . 2 39

distra c tion does not all ow us to presume mu c h sensibilit y

,

for the ar tl e ss and freer mo v ements of the ge nius t h e ,

produ cts o f whi ch are onl y disgured b y too anxious a f e ar o f

faults To all t h e arts and s c i e n c es n othing c an be more
.

hostile than the romanti c o r barbaresqu e taste ; f o r this

distorts nature its e lf whi c h is the uni versal protot y pe o f
,

t h e noble and the beautiful : and hen c e it is that t h e

S panish nation has shown littl e fe eling for t h e ne arts or
the s c ien c es .

The national mind is in an y c ase b e st expounded b y the

dire c tion o f its moral feelings : I shall therefore next
c onsider t h e fe elings of diff e re nt nations in relation to the
S ubl im e and B e auti f ul from this point of vie w Th e .

Spa n ia rd is s e rious reserv ed and pun c tiliousl y faithful to

, ,

his word Th e r e are few more up r ight mer chants in t h e

.

world than t h e S panish The S paniard has a proud soul

.
,

and more sy mpath y with grandeur in a c tions than with

those q u alities o f a ction whi ch c om e more und e r t h e titl e of
the B e autiful N ot mu c h of benignity o r ge ntleness is to
.

be found in his c ompo s ition : a n d hen c e he is oft e n harsh

and e ven cru e l The a u to da f e k e e ps its ground in S pain
.

not so mu c h through superstition as through t h e n a tional

passion for a barbare squ e grandeur whi ch is a ff e c ted b y
,

t h e solemnities o f a dreadful pro c e ssion in the c ours e of,

whi c h the S a n Ben ito painte d o v er with de v ilish forms is

, ,

d e li v ered up to t h e am e s whi ch a hid e ous bigotry has lit .

I t c annot be so properly said that t h e S paniard is prouder

o r more amorous than thos e of oth e r nations as that he ,

display s both pa ssions in a more barbaresque mann e r To .

l e a ve the plough standing still and to strut about in a long

,

sword and c loak un til the tra veller is past : o r in a bull

ght where the beauties of the land are for on c e se e n
,

un veiled to pro claim t h e lad y o f his affe c tions by a spe cial

,
2 4o KANT ON NA TION A L CHA RA C TER .

saluteand then t o seek to do honour to this lad y b y

pre c ipitating h i mself into a dangerous c ontest with a sa v ag e
animal are strange a c ts and far remote from nature The
, , .

I t a lia n seems to ha v e a mixed temperam e nt c ompos e d ,

partl y o f the Fren c h and partl y O f the S panish : he has more

sensibilit y t o the Beautiful than the S paniard and to the ,

S ublime than the Fren c hman : and by this c lue I am o f

O pinion that the other features of his moral c hara c ter may
be explained The Frenchm a n in regard t o all moral
.
,

feelings has a domineering sense o f the Beauti ful H e has

, .

a ne addre ss is c ourteous and obliging

, H e readil y .

assumes a c on dential tone : is playful and un c onstrained

in c on ve rsation and he onl y who has the polite fe e lings o f
a F ren chman c an enter into the f ull meaning o f the e x
pr e ssiona m a n or a la d y of go o d t o n e E ven t h e sublimer .

feelings o f a F re n chmanand he has m an y su c h are sub

O rdinated to his sense O f the Beauti ful and deri v e their ,

s t rength fro m their f usion with these H e is passionat e ly .

fond O f wit and will make no s c ruple o f sa cri cing a little

,

truth to a happ y c on ceit O n the other hand where there

.
,

is no opportunit y for wit a F ren chman displa y s a spirit of

,

as radi c al and profound in v estigation as men o f any nation

whate v er : for in stan c e in mathemati c s and in the oth e r
, ,

profound and austere s c ien c es I n the metaph y si c s how

.
,

e ver the ethi c s and the theology o f this nation it is

, , ,

impossible to be t oo mu c h upon one s guard A delusi ve .

glitter c ommonl y pre v ails in su c h works whi c h c annot ,

stand the test of sober examination A Fren c hman lo ve s .

the auda cious in all his O pinions : but he who would arri v e
at the truth had need to b enot auda c ious but c autious , .

F ren c h history tends natur a ll y to memoirs and an e c dotes ,

in whi ch there is no impro v ement to desire but that th e y

weretrue A ban
. m o t has n o t that fugiti v e v alue in
2 42 KAN T 0N NA TI /
O V AL C H A RA C T E R .

th e m sel ve s ; and I shall shel t er m y se lf f rom an y displ e a s ure

whi c h I might els e in c ur b y pleading the san c tion o f a
M ontesquieu and a D Al e m b e rt The E ng lishm a n at the

.
,

c ommen c em e nt o f e v ery a c quaintan c e is c old and rese r ved , ,

and towards all strangers is indiff e r e nt H e has little .

in clination to show an y c omplaisan c e o r obligingness in

t ri e s o n the other hand wher e he fe e ls sin c ere fri e ndship
, ,

he is disposed to expre ss it b y important ser v i c es H e .

gi ves hims e lf v ery little trouble to displa y wit in c on v ersa

tion o r to r e c ommend himself b y any politeness o f manner
,

o n the other hand ,

his demeanour e xpresses high go o d
s e ns e and sobriet y o f mind The E nglishman is bad at
.

imitation he asks little about oth e r peopl e s opinions and

,

follows nothing but his own tast e and humour I n r e lation .

to women h e does not manifest t h e F r e n c h spirit O f c ourtl y

homage but ne verth e less testi e s far more o f sin c e r e
,

re sp e c t for them ; ind e ed he pushes this too far and in

, ,

t h e married state usuall y allows his wife an unlimi t e d

in ue n c e H e is rm at tim e s e v e n to obstina cy bold
.
,

and r e solut e e v en to rashness and he a c ts in ge neral upon

prin c iple in a degree amounting al m ost to Obdura cy H e .

is prone to fall into e ccentri c ity o f habits or opinions not ,

from v anit y but be caus e he has a slight r e gard for what

,

oth e rs say o r think and be c ause h e is not forward t o put

,

any for c e o n his o wn in clinations o ut o f c omplaisan c e o r

o u t O f imitation ; o n this a cc ount he is rar e l y so mu c h

b e lo v e d as t h e Fre n chman but wh e n he is on c e kn o wn

, , ,

mu c h mor e r e sp e c t e d Th e Germ a n has a mix e d temp e r

.
,

c o m pos e d o f the E n glish and Fre n ch but partaking mu ch ,

more o f t h e rst : and whene v er a G e rman dis c o ve rs a

,

c loser res e mblan c e to t h e F ren chman it is undoubte dl y an ,

arti c ial o r mimi c al resemblan c e H e has a happ y e qui .

librium of s e nsibility to t h e S ublim e and the Beautiful :

 KANT ON NA TIONA L CHA RA C TER . 2 43

and if h e do e s n o t ri v al t h e E nglishman in t h e r st nor t h e

F r e n c h m an in t h e se c ond y e t h e surpasses either s e parat e l y
,

in so far as he c o m bines them both H e dis c o vers mor e .

urbanity in so cial inte r c our se than the E nglishman and if

he do e s not b r ing into c o m pan y so mu c h wit and agr e e abl e
v i va c ity a s t h e F re n c hman h e manife sts mor e mode s t y and
,

good sen se I n lo ve as in e v ery oth e r dir e ction O f taste

.
, ,

he is tol e rabl y m e tho d i c and b e c aus e he c ombines the,

sens e o f t h e B e autiful with t h e sens e of the S ublim e he is ,

c old e nough in c ontemplating e ith e r s e parat e l y to k e e p his

, ,

h e ad fre e f o r c onsid e rations o f d e c orum o f p o mp and show , , .

He n c e it is that in his c iv il re lations no less than in lo ve

, ,

famil yrank and titl e s a re matters o f supr e m e import

an c e H e inquire s far more earnestl y than e ither t h e
.

F r e n c hman o r t h e Engli shman what p e o pl e w ill think o f

him : and i f ther e is an y o n e featur e o f his c hara c ter whi c h
,

c alls a l oud for a c api t al i m p r o v e m ent it is this v ery w e ak

,

n e ss w hi c h is t h e c a u s e tha t h e shrinks with timidity from the

,

ha r din e ss o f originali t y e ve n wh e n h e has all t h e tal e n t s f o r i t :

and through this o v e r anxi e ty about t h e O pinions of others
,
-

h is moral qualiti e s lo se all ground o f stabilit y and be c om e ,

ckl e as t h e w e ath e r hollow and arti cial T h e Du tchm a n

, ,
.

is o f a r e gular a n d painstaking temp e r and looking o n l y ,

to t h e u se ful h e h a s li t tl e s e nsibility to that whi c h in a

,

ner s e nse is eith e r B e autiful o r S ublim e A gr e at m a n is .

e q u i v a l e nt in h is v o c abular y to a ri c h man b y a friend h e

m e an s a c or r e spond e nt ; and a V is it is e x c eedingl y t e dious
to h im unl e ss it returns some n e t t prot H e is t h e ideal
,
.

c ontrast t o t h e Fre n chman as well as to the E nglishman ,

and may b e bri e y d e s c rib e d as a phl e gmati c G e rman .

I f we make an attempt to apply these thoughts to any

parti c ular c ase as for instan ce to the feeling for honour
, , ,

a n d d is t in ct iO mt h e following national di ff eren c es di sc o v er

 2 44 KANT 0 N N A TI O N AL CHA RA C TER .

th e msel ves The s e nsibility to honour is in t h e F r e n ch m an

.
,

vanit y in the S paniard arrogan c e ; in the E ngli sh m an

pride in the G erman ha u ghtiness and in t h e Dut ch m an
(si t ven ia ver bo pomposit y These expressions ma y s e.e m
at rst sight to be equipoll e nt but the y d e not e v e ry
r e markable di ff er e n c es V anity c ourts approbation
. is ,

in c onstant and c hangeable but its outward demeanour is ,

c ourt e ous Th e arrogant man is bloated with a f alse and

.

pl e asurable c on c eit o f himself whi c h h e takes little troubl e ,

to support by the approbation of others ; his deportment is

stiff and unbending P ride is stri c tl y speaking nothing
.
, ,

more than a greater c ons c iousness o f one s o wn m e rits ; and
this c ons c iousn e ss may O ft en be v ery j ustl y founded ; when c e

it is that we talk o f a noble prid e but w e c an ne v er
attribute to a m an a nobl e arrogan c e be cause this alway s ,

indi c ate s an ill founded and exaggerated self estimation :

- -

the deportment of the proud man towards others is c old

and e xpressi v e o f indi ff e ren ce The haughty man is a proud .

*
man tha t is at the same time a v ain o n e
, , T h e appro .

bation howe v er whi c h he soli c its from oth e rs must b e

, , ,

shown in te stimonies of respe c t Ther e fore it is that h e .

would willingl y gl itter with titles genealogies and external

pag e antry Th e Ge rman bey ond all other p e ople is infe c t e d
.

with this in rmit y The words G ra ciou s

.

H igh born
,
-
,

W e ll born and the rest o f that bombasti c di c tion make
-
, ,

t h e G e rman language sti ff and unwield y and stand in t h e

wa y o f that b e autiful simpli c ity w hi c h oth e r nations ha v e

I t is b y no m ea n s n e cessa ry tha ta h a ugh t y m an sh o uld b e at the

sa m e i
t me an a rro ga n t m an k e a n e xagge ra t e d a nd
sh o u ld ma
fa nci ful est i m a t e o f h is a dva n t a ges : it is p o ssi b l e t h a t h e m a y va l ue
h i m self a t n o h igh e r r ate th a n h is j ust wo r t h His e rr o r l i e s in a fa l se
.

ta ste wh i ch pre si d e s o ve r h is m a nne r o f givi ng e x pr essi o n a nd

im p o r t a nce t o h is cl a i m s e x t e rn a lly .
2 46 KA NT ON NA TIONA L CHA RA C TER .

sh ould possess a mu c h more pow e rful understanding will ,

ne v e rtheless be soon e r sedu ced b y his predominant f e eling

to beli e v e an y thing unnatural than the other who m n o t
his dis c ernm e nt but his c om monpla c e and phl e gmati c f e e l
ings hav e preser v e d from this ab e rration o f t h e j u d gm e nt .

The superstitious man pla ces b e t ween himself and the

s u pr e m e Obj e c t o f his adora t ion c e rtain might y and mar
ve llo ns men giants if I m ay so e x press m y s e lf O f r e ligion

, ,

whom natur e ob e y s whos e adj uring v oi c e opens and shuts

,

t h e iron gat e s of Tartarus and who w hilst with th e ir heads , ,

th e y rea c h the h e a v e ns plant their f e et upon the earth , .

I nt e lle c tual c ultur e will o n this a cc ount ha v e great

Obsta cl e s to o v e r c ome in S pain ; not so mu c h fro m t h e
ignoran c e with w hi c h it has to c ont e nd as b e c aus e it is ,

thwarted b y a per v e rte d ta ste whi ch ne ver fe els it se lf in a

stat e o f e l e v ate d emotion unl e ss w h e r e its obj e c t is bar
b a re s q u e Fa n a ti cism is a sor t o f de v out t e m e r ity and is
.
,

o cc a si o n e d b y a pe c uliar prid e and an e x c ess o f s e lf co n -

d e n c e with t h e v i e w o f ste pping n e ar e r to t h e di v in e

n ature a n d raising its e lf abo v e t h e ordinar y and pre s crib e d
,

c ourse o f things The fanati c talks o f nothing but imm e

.

dia t e r e v e lations and of dire c t intuitions ; whereas t h e

,

sup e rstitious m a n S p r e ads b e fore th e se great image s a v e il

o f wond e r working saints -
and r e sts his wh o l e c on d e n c e
,

upon the i m aginary and ini m itable perfe c tions of oth e r

p e r sons parti c ipating a c ommon nature with himsel f I .

ha v e before remarked that the int e ll e c tual ab e rrations c arry

t h e E ngl i sh pr evi o u ly t r i ned b y a n e x t n ive ex p ri e nce in wh i ch

, s a e s e

m n y i ne x p l i c b l e d i f u l t i es o ccu r t o a m e d i t a t i v m i n d b u r t m o r e
a a c e , s s

v ig r u ly t h r o ugh a l l t h
o o s l i t t l e j e l u n i d ra t i ns n d scr upl e b y
e a o s co s e o a s

wh i h a w k nd m i t r u t ful i nt ell ct i ch ck d nd f t t e r d in it
c ea a s s e s e e a e e s

a ss n t
e a n d t h us t h
s i n f ri o r m i nd wi t h ut ny m ri t o f its o wn i
e e o a e s

e rve d fro m e rr r N 0 t e f Ka n t s
, ,

so m t i m e pr

e s es o . o .
 KANT 0 N N A T1 0 NA L CHA RA C TER . 2 47

Si gns along with them o f the national chara c t e r of fe e ling

and h e n c e it is that fanati c ism has b e en c hiey found
( for m erl y at least ) in G erman y and in E ngland and is to
,

be re garded as an unnatural produ c t o f the noble fe e ling

whi c h belongs to the chara c te rs O f thes e two nations And .

l e t it be obs e r v ed that fanati c ism is not b y man y degr e e s so

inj urious as sup e rstition although at rst it is mor e o u t
,

rageous for the fer v ours o f a fanati c al mind c ool and

e e rve sce b y degrees and agre e abl y t o t h e gen e ral analogi e s
,

o f nature must at length subside to the ordinar y le v e l o f

temp e rature : whereas sup e rstition roots itsel f c ontinual l y

deep e r and d e e p e r in a qui e t and passi ve fram e O f min d ,

and robs t h e fe tte r e d b e ing of all t h e c ond e n c e requisit e

f o r e v e r liberating its e lf from a pestilent d e lusion F inall y .
,

t h e v ain and fri v olous man is alwa y s without an y pow e rful

fe e ling f o r the S ublime his r e ligion th e refore is unim pa s
, ,

sio n e d and generall y an aff air O f fashion whi c h he goes,

through with the utmost good br e e ding and entire c old

-

h e artedness This is pra c ti c al i n d iff er en ce to whi c h t h e

.
,

F r e n ch national mind se e ms to be t h e most in clin e d from

t his to the pro f a n e st mo c k e ry o f r e ligion there is but o n e
st e p and to sa y the truth estimat e d b y its inner val ue
, ,

indi ff e ren c e seems but tri vially pre ferable to the entire
r ej e c tion o f re ligion
.

I f we throw a hast y glan ce o v er the other quart e rs O f the

wo r l d w e nd t h e Arabs the noblest people o f the E ast
, ,

but of a t e mperam e nt in respe ct to taste whi ch tends mu c h

to the barbaresqu e and t h e unnaturall y romanti c The .

Arab is ho spitable magnanimous and obser v ant of his

, ,

word ; but his c tions and his history and his whol e fe e l
, ,

ings are v eined and c oloure d with the marv ellous His .

inam e d imagination presents Obj e c ts in u nnatural and

distort e d im a ge s ; a n d e ve n t h e pro pa gation o f his r e l igio n
2 48 KANT ON NA TIONA L CHA RA C TER .

was a great roman c e I f the Arabs a re as it were the

.
, ,

Asiati c S paniard s the Persia ns are the Asiati c F ren chmen

, .

Th e y are good poets c ourte ous and o f tolerabl y rened

, ,

tast e Th e y are not rigorous followers o f I slam and they

.

allow to th e ir o w n v oluptuous t enden c ies a prett y latitud

in a ria n interpretation o f the K oran Th e Ja pa n ese ma y be
.

r e garded partiall y as the E nglishman o f the O riental world 3

but hardl y for an y other qualities than their rmn e ss ,

whi c h degenerates into obstina c y their c ourage and th e ir , ,

c ontempt o f death I n all oth e r r e sp e c ts they show few

.

marks o f the grand E nglish sty le of mind The nations o f .

I n d i a dis c o v er a domineerin g taste for fool e ries of that

class whi ch run into the barbar e sque Their r e ligion is .

made up o f fool e ries I dols o f hideous formsthe in v a l u

.

able tooth o f the might y ape H a num a nn the unnatural ,

penan c es o f the F akir (the mendi cant friar o f Paganism ) ,

are all in this taste Th e s e l f immolations o f wom e n o n

.
-

the same funeral pile whi ch c onsumes the c orpse s o f their

husbands are abominable instan c es o f the ba r baresque
, .

Wha t senseless fooleries are in v ol v ed in the prolix and

elaborate c ompliments o f the Chinese E v en th e ir paint
ings a re senseless and exh ibit mar v ellous form s that are
,

nowh e re to be s e en in nature They ha v e also more than

.
, ,

an y people on earth besides traditional fooleries that are

,

c onse c rated b y an cient usage ; su ch f o r instan c e as t h e , ,

c eremon y still r e tained at Pekin during an e clips e o f the

,

sun o r the moon o f dri v ing awa y the dragon that is

,

attempting t o swallow up those hea venl y bodies a c ere

mony deri v ed from the e lder ages o f grossest ignoran ce and ,

still retained in dean c e o f b e tter information .

The negroes o f Afri c a ha v e from nature no feeling whi c h

trans c ends the childish l e v el M r H ume c hall e nge s an y
. .

m a n t o alle ge a single c as e in whi c h a n e gro has shown t he

2 5
0 KA NT ON NA TIONA L CHA RA C TER .

c ontra cts is as romanti c and as enthu siasti c as an y th ing

whi c h has d e s c e nded to us from the fabulous tim e s o f
antiquity H e is proud in e x c e ss is s e n sible o f the whole
.
,

v alu e o f fr e edom and e ven through the period of edu c ation

,

he brooks no treatment whi c h c oul d subj e c t him to a

d e grading submission Ly c urgus in all probabilit y ga v e
.

laws to j ust su c h sav ages and i f a gr e at lawgi v e r w e re to

ari se amon gst t h e S ix N ation s the world would behold a
,

S partan republi c arise amongst t h e sa v ag e s o f t h e n e w

world as in fa c t the v o y age of t h e Argo n auts is not v e ry
dissimilar to the military expeditions of t h e I ndians ; and
Ja son has littl e ad v an t ag e o f A t t a k a k ul l a k ull a e x c e pt in
t h e honour o f a G re cian name All these sa v ages ha v e
.

littl e sensib ilit y to the Beautiful in a moral s e nse ; and t h e

magnanimous forgi v eness o f an inj ury whi c h is at the same ,

ti m e noble and beautiful is wholl y unknown to sa v ages as

,

a v irtu e and despised as a miserabl e w e akness C ourage

,
.

is t h e supre me merit of the sav age ; and R e v e nge his

sw e e t e st pleasur e The oth e r nati v e s o f this quarter O f t h e
.

glob e show f e w tra c e s o f a t e mp e ram e nt open to t h e ner

impressions o f sentim e nt ; and indeed t h e general c hara c ter
ist ic o f this di v ision of mankind is an extraordinary d e fe c t
o f sensibilit y .

I f w e examin e the stat e of the sexual r e lations in these

v arious r e gions of the e arth we nd that t h e E uropean
,

onl y has dis c o v e r e d the se cr e t o f adorning t h e sensual

attra ctions o f a mighty passion with so ma n y owers and ,

o f interwea v ing it wi t h so mu c h o f moral f e e ling that h e ,

has not onl y e xalt e d its fa scinations but has also brought it
,

e ntir e l y within the limits o f s o c ial d e c orum T h e O ri e ntalist

.

is in this point O f v ery false tast e H a ving no id e a o f t h e

, ,
.

morall y B e autiful that ma y be c onne c t e d with this in stin c t ,

h e forfe its e v e n t h e b e tt e r part o f the m e r e s e nsual

 KAN T ON NA TION A L CHA RA C TER . 2 51

plea sure and his H a r em be c omes to h im a p e rp e tual

sour c e of inquie t ud e Woman o n h e r par t d e g r ad e d to the
.
, ,

le ve l o f the m e re instrument and m e ans of sensual p l e asures ,

los e s all h e r dignit y and c on se qu e ntl y h e r p e rsonal rights .

Wh e th e r as an unmarri e d v i r gi n o r as t h e wife of a j e alous

,

and intra c tabl e brut e sh e is in t h e E ast e ternall y a prisoner

, .

Amongst t h e Bla cks what c an a man look f o r bett e r than

,

what in fa c t is e v e r y wh e r e found that is to sa y t h e whol e

?
,

fe mal e se x in a stat e o f t h e profound e st sla ve ry A faint

h e a r t e d man is alway s a se v e re mast e r to his w e ak e r
d e p e ndants j ust as with us that man is sure to pla y t h e
,

t y rant in his o w n kit c h e n who has hardl y c ourage enough

to l ook anybody in t h e fa c e wh e n he st e ps out o f doors .

Pere Labat ind e e d t e lls u sthat a n e gro g e ntleman whom ,

h e had b e e n r e proa c hing with his t y ranni c al tr e atment o f

his wom e n return e d this answer :
, Y o u Whit e s a re
d o wnright fools : f o r y ou rst o f all allow y our wi ves t o o
mu c h lib e r ty and th e n yo u c omplain wh e n th e y abu se it
and mak e y our h e ads a c h e At rst sight it might s e e m
.

as if th e r e wa s some thing in this remark w hi ch m e rit e d a

littl e att e n t ion : but to c ut the matter short t h e fellow
, ,

was a Bla c k bla c k as soot from head t o foo t an unan

sw e ra b l e proof that what he said was b e sti a ll y s t upid Of .

al l sa v age s th e r e are non e amongst whom wom e n e nj oy

mo r e r e al c onsid e ration and inuen c e than the nobl e sa vag e s
of N orth Ameri c a I n thi s point inde e d p e rhaps t he
.
, ,

C anadian wom e n ha v e the ad v antag e of those e v e n in o u r

r e n e d quarter o f t h e glob e I do not mean that an y
.

submissi ve attentions and homage a re th e re paid to wom e n

th e s e a re mer e for m s O f hollo w c ompli m e n t N o the
.
,

C an a dian wo m e n enj o y a c tual pow e r : th e y m e e t and

de l ib e rate upon t h e w e ighti e st ordinan c e s o f t h e n ation
wh e t h e r re garding pe a c e o r war U pon the r e sul t o f t he i r
.
2 5
2 KANT ON NA TIONA L CHA RA C TER .

debate s the y despat c h delegates t o the male c oun c il ; and

c ommonl y it is their v oi c e whi c h pre v a ils This priv ilege .
,

howe v er they pur chase d earl y : a ll the household con c erns

,

a re thrown o n their should e rs and they take their share in

all the hardships and toils o f the men .

Finall y if we c ast a glan c e o v er the page o f histo ry we

, ,

per c e i v e t h e taste o f menlike a Proteuse v erlastingl y

assuming new and v aria b le form s The an c ient times o f
.

the G reeks and R omans e xhibited unequi vo c al marks o f a

legitimate feeling for the Beauti ful as well as the S ublime
in P oetry Sc ulpture Ar c hite c ture Legislation and e v en in
, , , ,

M orals The go v ernment o f the R oman E mperors change d

.

t h e noble as well as the beautiful simpli c it y into the magni

ce n t and gorgeou sand at length into th at spurious glitt e r
o f ne r whi c h still sur v i v es for o u r instru c tion in th e ir
y
rhetori c their poetry and e v en in t h e history o f th e ir
, ,

m anners G radu a ll y and in sy mpathy with t h e general

.
,

d e cline o f the state e ven this bastard relique o f the purer

,
'

taste was extinguished The Barbarians after that they .

,

had established their power o n the ruins O f the empire ,

introdu ced a pe c uliar form o f c orrupt taste whi ch is styled

t h e G othi c and is built upon t h e passion for the c hil di sh
-w
.

This passion display ed itsel f not merely in ar chite c ture but ,

in the s c ien c es and in the general spirit O f the man ners and
usages . The highest point to whi c h human genius was
abl e to soar in its attempt to maste r the sublime was the
Barbaresque R oman c es both temporal and spiritual were
.
, ,

then exhibited o n the stage of nations ; and oftentim e s a

disgustin g and monstrous abortion o f both in c ombination
monks with t h e mass book in o n e hand and the warlik e
,
-
,

banner in the oth e r followed b y w hole armies o f deluded

,

v i c tims destined t o la y their bon e s in other c limates and in

a holier soil ; c onse c rated warriors solemnl y d e di c at e d b y ,

 A N A L E C T S FR O M R I C H T E R .

T H E HAPP Y I
L FE O F A PAR S H PR E S I I T IN S WE D E N .

\
V E DE N apart t he
c ondition o f a parish pri e st is
,

in itself suf cientl y happy ; in S we d e n then , ,

mu c h more so There h e enj oy s summer and

.

winter pure and unalloy e d b y an y tedious int e r

ruptions A S wedish spring whi ch is alway s a lat e o n e is
.
, ,

n o r e petitio n in a low e r ke y o f the harshness o f w int e r

, , ,

but anti c ipat e s and is a pre libation o f p e rfe c t summer

,

lad e n with blossoms radiant with the lil y and t h e ros e ;

insomu ch that a S w e dish summ e r night r e p r es e nt s
,

i m pli c itl y o n e half o f I tal y and a winter night o n e half o f

-

,
-

t h e world besid e .

I w ill begin with winter and I will suppo se it to b e ,

C hri stmas T h e priest whom we shall imagin e to b e a

.
,

G e rman a n d summon e d fro m t h e south e r n climat e of

,

G e rman y upon p re se ntat io n to t h e c h urc h o f a S we di sh

hamlet l y ing in a high polar latitud e rise s in c he e rfuln e ss ,

a bout se v en o c lo c k in t h e morning and till half past nin e

-

h e burns his lamp At nin e o c lo c k the stars are still

.

s hining and the un c louded moon e v en et long er This

, y .

prolongation o f starlight into t h e forenoon is to him delight

ful f or he is a G e rm a n and has a sens e o f s ome t h ing
, ,
 ANA L E C TS FRO M RICHTER . 2 55

m ar ve llous in a starry f o r e noon M e thinks I b e hold t h e

.

p r i e st and his o c k mo v ing towards the c hur c h with

lant e rns ; t h e lights dispers e d amongst the c rowd c onn e c t
t h e c ongr e gation into t h e appearan c e o f some domesti c
group o r larger household and c arry the priest ba ck t o his
,

childish y e ars during the winter season and C hristmas

matins when e ve ry hand bor e its c an dle Arri ved at the
, .

pulpit h e de clares to his audi e n c e the plain truth word for

, ,

word as it stands in the gospel ; in the presen c e O f G od all

,

intell e ctual pretensions are c alled upon to b e silent t h e ,

ve ry re ason c e as e s t o be reasonable nor is an y thing r e ason

,

able in the sight o f Go d but a sin c ere and upright

h e art .

Just as h e and his o c k are i ssuing from the c hur c h the

bright C hristmas sun a sc ends abo ve the horizon and shoots ,

his beams upon their fa c e s Th e O ld m e n who are

.
,

nu m erous in S wed e n are all tinged with t h e c olours o f

,

y outh b y the rosy morning lustre ; and t h e pri e st as h e ,

looks away from them to moth e r e arth l y ing in the sl e ep of

wint e r and to t h e chur ch y ard wh e re the ow e rs and t h e
, ,

m e n are all in th e ir gra v e s together might se c retl y e x c laim

,

with t h e po e t Upon t h e d e ad moth e r in pea c e and utte r,

glo o m a re re posing the d e a d childre n

,
Afte r a time .
,

uprise s t h e e ve rlasting sun ; and the moth e r sta r ts up at

t h e summons o f the h e a v enl y dawn with a r e surr e c tion o f
her an c i e nt bloom And her c hildren

. Y e s : but th e y ?
must wait awhil e .

At hom e he is awaited by a warm stud y and a long ,

l e ve lled rule o f sunlight upon t h e book clad wall -

.

Th e af t ernoon he sp e nds d e lightfull y for ha v ing before ,

him su ch perfe c t o we r stands o f pleasures he s c ar c el y

-

knows where he should settle S upposing it to be C hrist

.

m a s day he prea ches a gain

-

,
he prea c hes on a subj e c t whi ch
2 6
5 ANA L E C TS FRO M RICH TE R .

c alls up images of t h e b e aut e ous e astern land o r of e te rnity -

, .

B y this time twilight and gloom prev ail e d through t h e

,

c hur c h : onl y a c oupl e of wax lights upon the altar thre w -

wondrous and mighty shadows through t h e ai sles : t h e

angel that han gs down from the roof abo v e the baptismal
font is awok e into a solemn life by the shadows and t h e
ra y s and seems almost in the a c t o f as c ension through t h e
,

windows the stars or the moon are b e ginning t o peer :

aloft in the pulpit whi c h is now hid in gloom the priest is
, , ,

inamed and possessed by the sa c red burd e n of gl ad tidin gs

whi ch he is announ c ing : he is lost and insensibl e t o all
besides ; and fro m amidst the darkn e ss whi c h surrounds
him h e pours down his thunders with tears and agitation
, , ,

reasoning o f future worlds and o f the h e a v en of hea v ens , ,

and whatso e ver e l s e c an most po werfull y shak e t h e h e ar t

and t h e a ff e c tions .

Des c ending from the pulpit in th e s e hol y f e r v ours h e ,

now perhaps tak e s a walk ; it is about fo ur o c lo c k : a n d

, ,

h e walks beneath a sk y lit up b y the shifting north e rn

lights that to his e y e appear but an Aurora striking
,

upwards from t h e et e rnal morning of t h e south o r as a ,

for e st c omposed o f saintl y thi c kets lik e the ery bush e s o f ,

M oses that are round the thron e o f G od

,
.

Thus if it be the aft e rnoon of C hristmas da y but if it be

,
-

an y other af t ernoon v isitors perhaps c ome and bring their , , ,

well bred grown u p daughters Like the fashionabl e world

-

,
-
.

in Lo ndon he dines at sunset that is to say like the um

, ,

f ashionabl e world of L ondon he dines at two o c lo c k and

,

drinks c o ff ee b y moonlight ; an d the parsonage hous e -

b e c omes an en chanted pala c e o f pleasure gleaming with

twilight starlight and moonlight O r perhaps he goes
, ,
.
, ,

o v er to the s c hoolmaster who is tea c hing his afterno o n ,

s c hool ; there b y the c andle light he gathers round h is

,
-
,
2 5
8 ANA LE C TS FR OM RICH TER .

O f fashion and spl e ndour from whi c h h e pur ch as e d t h e

,

said wax c andle end Fo r I suppose that at the c ou rt

.
,

o f S t o c kholm as elsewh e re there must be c andl e ends to be

, ,

bought O f t h e state footmen -

.

But now aft e r the lapse o f hal f

,
ayear all at on c e th e re ,

strikes upon his heart something more beautiful than I tal y ,

where the sun sets so mu ch earlier in summ e r time than it

?
-

do e s at o u r S wedi sh hamlet : and what is tha t I t is the

longes t da y with the ri ch fr e ight it c arries in its bosom
, ,

an d l e ading b y the hand the e arl y dawn b l ushing with rosy

l ight and m e lodiou s wi t h the c arolling o f larks at o n e
,

O c lo c k in t h e m orning B e fore two that is at sunrise
.
, , ,

the elegant party that we mention e d last winter arri ve

in gay c lothing at the parsonage ; for th e y are bound o n
a little ex c ursion of pleasure in c ompan y with the pri e st .

At two o clo c k the y are in motion ; at whi ch time all
t h e owers are glittering and t h e forests are gl e aming
,

with the mighty light The warm sun t hreatens them

.

with no storm nor thunder showers ; for both are rare

in S wed e n Th e prie st in c ommon with the r e st o f the
.
,

c ompan y is attired in the c ostum e o f S wed e n ; h e w e ars a

,

short j a c ket with a broad s c arf his short cloak abo ve ,

that his round hat with oating plum e s and shoes tied
, ,

with bri ght ribbons lik e the r e s t o f t h e m e n h e res e mbl e s ,

a S panish knight o r a P ro v e n cal or oth e r m e n of t h e ,

sou t h ; more esp e c ial l y when he and his ga y c ompan y a re

se en y ing through t h e lofty foliage luxuriant with blossom ,

that within so short a p e riod o f w e e ks has shot forth from

t h e gard e n plots and t h e nak e d boughs .

That a longe st d a y like this b e a r ing su ch a c ornu c opia o f

,

sun shin e o f c loudl e s s e ther o f buds and b e ll s o f blossoms

, , ,

and o f l e isure should pass awa y more rapidl y than the

,

shorte s t is not dif c ult t o su ppose As e arl y as eight .

 A NA L E C TS FROM RICH TER . 2 5
9

o cl o c k in t h e e v e ning t h e party bre ak s up the su n is now

b u r n ing mor e gentl y o ve r t h e half c l ose d sl e e p y ow e rs ;

-

about nin e h e has mitigat e d his ray s and is beh e ld bathing

,

a s it wer e nak e d in t h e blue d e pths of h e a v e n about t e n ,

at whi c h hour t h e c ompan y reassembled at t h e parsonage ,

t h e pri e st is d e e pl y mo v e d for throughout the haml e t

, ,

though t h e tepid sun now sunk to t h e horizon is still sh e d

, ,

ding a sull e n glow upon t h e c ottage s and t h e window pan e s -

e v ery thing r e pos e s in profound e st silen c e and sl e ep : the

birds e v e n are all slumb e ring in the gold e n summits of t h e

woods and at last t h e solitary sun hims e lf s e ts lik e a

moon amid st t h e uni v ersal qui e t of nature To our priest

,
.
,

walking in his romanti c dre ss it s e ems as though rosy

, .

c olour e d r e alms wer e laid op e n in whi c h fairi e s and

,

spirits range ; and he would s c ar c e l y feel an emotion o f

wonder if in this hour o f gold e n v i sion his brother
, , , ,

w h o ran awa y in c hildhood should suddenly prese nt

,

him se l f as o n e alighting from some blooming h e a v en o f

en chantment .

The prie st wi l l not allow his c ompan y to depart : he

d e tains them in t h e parsonage gard e n wh e re say s b e e v e ry
, , ,

one that choose s ma y slumb e r away in beautiful bow e rs t he

bri e f warm hours until the re app e aran c e of the sun This
,
.

p r oposal is ge n e ral l y a dopt e d and t h e gard e n is o cc u pied

,

man y a lo v e l y pair a re making beli e v e to sl e e p but in fa c t , , ,

a re holding ea c h oth e r b y the hand Th e happ y priest

.

walks up and down through the parte rres C oolness c om e s .

,

and a f e w stars H is night v iolets and gil l y o we rs O p e n

.
- -

and br e ath e out their pow e rful odours To t h e north .

,

from the e te rnal morning o f the pol e e x hal e s as it w e re a

,

gold e n daw n Th e p r i e st thinks o f t h e v i l lag e of his child

.

hood far awa y in G e rman y ; he th inks of t h e life o f man ,

his hopes and his a spirations : and he is c alm and at pea ce

,
2 60 ANA LE C TS FROM RICHTE R .

w ith himself Th e n all at on c e starts up t h e morning sun

.

in his fr e shness S o m e there are in the garden who would

.

fain c onfound it with the e v ening sun and c lose their ey es ,

again ; but t h e larks bet ra y all and awaken e v er y sleeper

,

fro m bower to bower .

Then again begin pleasure and morning in th e ir pomp o f

radian c e and almost I c ould persuade m y s e lf to d e lin e ate
the c ourse of this day also though i t diff e rs from its
,

prede c essor hardly b y so mu c h as the leaf o f a rose bud -

.

D RE A M U PO N TH E U N I V E RSE .

I had been reading an ex c e llent dissertation of Kriige r s

upon the O l d v ulgar error whi c h regards the spa c e fro m o n e

earth and sun to another as empt y O ur sun toge th e r with .
,

all its planets lls only t h e

,
part
o f the whole spa c e between itself and the next solar bod y .

G ra c ious He a vens ! thought I in what an unfathomable ,

aby ss of e mptiness were this uni v erse swallowe d up and

lost if all w e re v o id and utte r v a c uit y ex ce pt the f e w
,

Shining point s o f dust whi c h w e c all a planetar y s y st e m !

To c on c ei v e of our e arthl y o c e an as the abod e o f d e ath

and ess e ntiall y in c apabl e of lif e and o f its populous isl ands
,

as being no gre at e r than snail sh e lls would b e a far l e ss

-

e rror in proportion to t h e c ompass o f o u r planet than

that whi ch attributes e mptin e ss t o the great mundan e
spa c e s ; and t h e error would be far less if the marin e
animals wer e to as c ribe lif e and fulness ex clusi v ely t o t h e
se a and to regard the atmo sph e r i c o c e an abo v e th e m as
,

empty and unte nanted A cc ording to H ers chel the mos t

.
,

r e mote o f the galaxies whi c h the tel e s c ope dis c o ver s lie at ,

su c h a distan c e from us that th e ir light whi c h rea c hes us

, ,

at this day must ha ve set out on i ts j ourn e y t wo millions

,
2 62 ANA L E C TS FR OM RI CH TER .

the summits o f the C ordilleras and a f ew moments more

,

redu c ed t h e sun to a little star ; and soon th e re r e mained

nothing v isibl e o f o u r s y stem ex c ept a c omet whi ch was
tra v elling fro m o u r sun with angeli c speed in the dir e c tion
o f S irius
. O ur ight now c arried us so rapidl y through t h e
o cks o f the solar bodies o ck s past c ounting unl e ss to ,

their hea v enl y S h e pherd that s c ar c e l y c ould th e y e xpand

thems e l ve s b e fore us into the magnitude o f moons before ,

they sank behind u s into pal e n e bular gl e ams ; and th e ir

planetary earths c ould not re v eal th e ms e l v e s for a mo m e nt
t o t h e trans c end e nt rapidit y o f o u r c ours e . At l e ngth
S irius and all t h e brotherhood o f o u r c onste llations and the
galaxy of our h e a vens stood far b e low o ur feet as a littl e
nebula amongst other y e t more distant nebul ae Thus we .

ew o n t hrough the starr y wildernes se s : o n e hea v e n aft e r

another unf urled its immeasurable banners b e fore us and ,

then roll e d up behind us : galax y b e hind galax y tow e r e d

up into solemn attitud e s before whi c h the S pi r it shu d d e r e d ;
and th e y stood in long arra y through whi ch t h e I n nit e
B e ing might pass into progr e ss . S o m e tim e s t h e For m that
light e n e d would o u t y m y wear y thoughts ; and th e n it
would be seen far o ff b e fore me like a c orus c ation among s t
the stars till sudd e nl y I thought again to m y s e lf t h e
thought o f Th er e and th e n I was at its si de But as w e
, .

w e re thus swallow e d up b y o n e ab y ss o f stars after anoth e r ,

and the h e a vens abo v e o ur heads wer e not empti e r n e ither ,

wer e the hea v ens b e low the m full e r ; and as suns without
inte rmission fell into the solar o c e an like wat e r spouts o f -

a storm whi c h fall into the o c ea n o f wat e rs ; then at

l e ngth the human h e art within m e was o v e r burd e n e d
and weary and y earn e d aft e r som e narrow c e ll o r quiet
,

oratory in this metropolitan c ath e dral o f the uni v e rse .

And I said to the F orm at m y sid e ,

O h S pirit ! h a s
,
 ANA LE C TS FR OM RICH TER . 2 63

th e n this uni vers e no e n d ?

And the Form an s we re d

and sai d ,
L o it has no b e ginning .

S udd e nl y h o we v er the hea v ens abo v e us appeared to be

, ,

e mpti e d and n o t a star was s e e n to twinkl e in the m ight y

,

ab y ss ; no gl e am O f l ight to break the unity O f t h e innit e

darkn e ss T h e sta r ry hosts behind us had a l l c ontra c t ed
.

into an obs c ur e n e b u la and at l e ngth th a t al so had

,

v ani sh e d And I tho u ght t o m y s e lf At las t t h e u ni v e r se

.
,

has e nd e d and I tr e mbled at t h e thought o f t h e il l im it .

able dunge on o f pure pure darkn e ss whi c h h e r e b e gan t o

,

i m prison t h e c re ation : I shudd e re d at t h e d e ad s e a o f

nothing in whos e unfathom abl e zon e o f bla c kne ss t h e j e w e l
,

o f t h e glittering uni v erse s e e m e d to be se t and buri e d for

e ve r and through the night in whi c h w e mo v e d I saw t h e

F o r m whi c h still lighten e d as b e for e but left all around it
,

unillu m inate d Then t h e Form said to m e in m y anguish

.
,

O h c r e atur e o f littl e faith ! Look u p t h e most an cie nt

light is c oming !
I look e d : and in a mom e nt c am e a
twilightin t h e twinkling o f an e ye a gala x y and th e n
with a c ho r al burst ru sh e d in all the c ompan y o f stars .

Fo r c enturi e s gre y with a ge for mi l lennia hoa r y wi t h anti

,

u it had t h e starry light b e en o n it s road to us ; a n d at

q , y
l e ngth o u t o f heights ina cce s sibl e to thought it had r e a c h e d
us. N o w th e n as through som e reno v at e d c e ntury w e e w
, , ,

throu gh n e w cycl e s o f h e a vens At l e ngth again c am e a

.

s ta r l e ss int e r v a l ; and far longe r it e ndured before t h e ,

b e ams of a starry host again had re a ch e d us .

A s w e thus ad v an c e d fo r e ve r through an int e r c hange of

nights and sola r h e av e ns and as t h e int e r va l gre w s ti l l
,

l o nge r and longe r b e fo r e t h e la st h e a ve n w e had quitt e d

c ontra c te d to a point and a s on c e w e i ssu e d sudd e n l y from
,

t h e middl e of thi c k e st n ight into an Aurora Bo r e ali s t h e ,

h e r ald of an expiring wo r ld and we found th r oughout thi s

,
2 64 ANA L E C TS FR OM RICH TER .

cyc le o f solar sy stems that a day o f j udgm e nt h a d indeed

arri ved the suns had si c kened and t h e planets were ,

hea vingro cking y awning in c on v ulsions the su b t e r

, ,

ra n e o u s waters o f the great d e eps were breaking up and ,

lightnings that w e re ten diamet e rs o f a world in l e ngth ran

alongfrom east to west fro m Z e nith t o N adir and here
and there wh e re a sun should ha v e been we saw instead
, ,

th rou gh t h e mi sty v apour a gloom y ash y l e aden c orpse of a

, ,

solar body that su c k e d in am e s from the perishing world

, ,

but ga ve o u t n e ither light n o r heat ; and as I sa w through ,

a v ista whi c h had no end mountain tow e ring abo v e moun

,

tain and piled u p with what seemed glittering snow fro m

,

the c oni c t o f solar and planetary bodi e s ; then m y spirit

b e nt under t h e load o f the uni v erse and I said to t h e Form
, ,

R est rest and l e ad me no further : I am too solitary in

, ,

the c r e ation itsel f and in its d e s e rts y e t more so t h e full

world is great but the empty world is greate r ; and with
,

t h e uni v e rs e in c reas e its Z aa ra h s .

Then the Form tou ched m e like the owing o f a breath ,

and spoke more gentl y than before :

I n t h e pre s e n c e of
G od the re is no emptiness : abo ve belo w b e tween and , , ,

round about the stars in the darkness and in t h e light

, ,

dwell e th t h e true and v ery Uni vers e the sum and f o unt ain ,

o f all that is But th y spirit c an bear onl y e arthl y image s

.

of the unearthl y n o w th e n I c leanse th y sight with

e uphras y look forth and behold the images
,

I mm e .

d ia t e l y m y e y es were O pened and I looked and I saw as it ,

w e re an in t erminable sea O f light sea immeasurabl e se a ,

unfathomable se a without a shore All spa c e s b e tw e e n all

,
.

hea ve ns were ll e d with happiest light : and th e r e was a

thun d e ring O f oods : and th e re w e r e seas abo v e t h e seas ,

and s e as belo w t h e seas : and I saw all the tra c kl e ss r e gions

that w e had v o y aged o v er : and m y e ye c omprehend e d t h e
2 66 ANAL E C TS FROM RI CH TER .

l e ft alone in t h e c entr e o f a uni ve rse o f life and I y earn e d ,

aft e r some sy mpathising b e ing S udd e nl y from t he starry

.

d e eps th e re c am e o ating th r o u gh the o cean O f light a

plan e ta r y body ; and upon it th e r e st o od a wo m an whose
fa c e w a s as t h e fa c e o f a M adonna ; and by her sid e th e r e
stood a child whos e c ount e nan c e v ari e d n o t neith e r was it
, ,

magnie d as h e drew neare r This chil d was a king for I

.
,

saw that h e had a c rown upon his head : but t h e c rown was
a c rown o f tho r ns Then also I per c e i v e d that the p l an e tary
.

body was our unhappy e arth and as t h e e arth dr e w n e ar , ,

this c hild who had co m e forth from t h e starry d e eps to

c omfort m e thre w upon me a look o f ge ntl e st pity and o f
unutte rabl e lo ve so that in m y h e art I had a sudd e n
,

rapture of j oy su c h as passe s all und e rstanding and I awok e ,

in t h e tum ult o f m y happin e s s .

I awok e : but m y h appin e ss sur vi v ed m y dream ; and I

e x c laim e d O h how beautiful is d eath s e e ing that w e d ie ,

in a world o f life and o f c r e ation without e n d and I bl e s se d

G o d fo r m y life upon e arth but mu c h mor e for t h e life in
,

th o s e uns e e n d e pths o f the uni ve rs e whi c h a re e mpti e d o f

all but t h e S up r e m e R e alit y and where no earthl y life no r
,

p e r i shabl e hop e c an e nt e r .

C O M PL A I N T O F TH E B R I D I N A DAR K E N E D CA G E .

Ah s aid t h e imp r i son e d bird h o w unhapp y w e r e I
,

in m y e t e rnal night but for t hos e m e lodious ton e s whi ch

,

so m e ti m e s m ak e th e ir way to m e lik e b e ams of light fr o m

afar and c h e e r m y gloom y da y But I will m y se l f r e p ea t
,
.

th e se h e a v e nl y m e lo d i e s lik e an e c h o until I hav e stamp e d

,

th e m in m y h e art and th e n I shall b e abl e t o bring c omfort

t o m y self in m y darkness ! Thus spok e t h e li t tl e W a r b l e r ,

and soon had learn e d t h e sweet ai r s that were su ng t o it with

 ANA LE C TS FRO M RI CH TE R

. 2 67

voi ce and instrum e nt That don e t h e c u r tain w a s rais e d ;

.
,

for t h e darkn e ss had been purpo se l y c ontri v ed to a ssi st in

its inst r u ction O man ! h o w often dost thou c omplain o f
.

o ve r shadowing gri e f and o f da r kness r e sting upon th y day s

And y e t what c au se for c omplain t unl e ss inde e d thou hast
?
,

fai l e d to l e arn wisdom fro m s u ff e r ing For is n o t t h e

whol e sum o f human life a v e iling and an ob sc uring o f the
immortal spi r it of man ?
Th e n rst when the e sh ly ,

c urtain falls awa y may it soar upwards into a r e gion of

,

happi e r m e lodies

O N THE D E ATH OF Y O U N G CH I L D RE N .

E ph em era d ie a l l at suns e t and no in se c t of this,

c la ss has e ver spo r t e d in the b e am s o f t h e morning su n " .

H app y are y e lit t l e human e ph e m e ra ! Y e playe d onl y in

,

t h e a sc e nding beams and in t h e e a r l y d awn and in t h e

, ,

e astern light ; y e drank only o f t h e pre libations o f life ;

ho v ere d for a littl e spa c e o v er a world O f freshness and o f
blossoms ; and fe ll a sl e e p in inno c en ce b e fo r e y et t h e
morning d e w was e x ha l e d

TH E PR O P H E TI C DE W -
D R O PS .

A d e l i cate chi ld pal e and pr e matur e l y wi se was c om

, ,

p l aining on a hot morning that t h e poor d e w d rO ps had b e e n -

t o o ha stil y snat ched awa y and not allow e d to glitter o n the

,

owers lik e other happi e r d e w d ro ps jt h a t li ve t h e whol e

-
'

night through and sparkl e in t h e moonlight and through the

,

So m e l
c a ss o f ep h e m e ra l i n se ct s a re b o rn a b o ut ve o cl o ck in t h e

a ft e r n o o n a n d d ie b e fo r e m i d n i g h t
,
s u pp o si ng t h e m t o l ive t o o l d a ge
,
.

1 I f t h e d e w is eva p o r a t e d i m m e d i a t e ly u p o n t h e sun ri si ng r a i n

-
,

a n d st o r m fo ll o w in t h e a ft e r n o o n ; b u t i f it st a y s a n d g l i t t e rs f o r a

l o ng t i m e a ft e r sun ri se t h e d a y co n t i nue s fa ir
,
.
2 68 ANA L E C TS FR O M RICH TER .

morning onwards to noon day The su n said the c h ild
-
.
, ,

has chased them awa y with his h e at o r swallow e d th e m in ,

'

his wrath S oon af t er c ame rain and a rainbo w ; wh e re

.

upon his fath e r pointed upwards ; Se e said he th e re , ,

s tand th y d e w drops gloriousl y re set a glitt e ring j ewell e r y

- -

in the hea v en s and the clo wnis h foot trampl e s o n th e m

no more B y t his m y c hild thou art taught that what
.
, ,

withers upon e arth blooms again in hea ven Thus the .

fath e r spoke and knew not that he spok e pre gu rin g

,

words : f o r so on af t er the deli c at e c hild with the morning ,

brightness o f his earl y wisdom was exhaled lik e a ,

dew drop into hea v en

-
, .

0N DE AT H .

W e should all think of death as a l e ss hid e ous obj e c t if ,

I t simpl y untenant e d o ur bodi e s o f a spi r it without c or ,

r u t in
p g them ; se c ond l y i f t h e gri e f whi c h we exp
,
e ri e n c e
at the spe c ta cle o f our friends gra v e s were n o t b y some

c onfusion o f the mind bl e nd e d with t h e i m age o f o u r own

thirdly i f we had not in this life seated ourse l ves i n a warm
,

domesti c nest whi c h we are unwilling to quit for the c old

,

blue r e gions o f the un fathomable hea v ens nally if d e ath ,

w e r e d e nied to us O n c e in dreams I saw a human being

.

o f hea v enl y intelle c tual fa c ulti e s and his aspirations wer e ,

h e a ve nl y but h e was c hained (m e thought ) eternall y in the

e arth The immo r tal old man had ve gr e at wounds in his
.

happin e ssv e worms that gnaw e d for e ver at his h e art :

he was unhapp y in spring t im e be cause tha t is a s e ason of -

h op e and ri c h with phantoms of far happi e r da y s than an y

,

whi c h this a c eldama of e arth c an re alis e H e was unhappy .

at t h e sound o f musi c whi c h dilates t h e heart O f man into

,

its whol e c apa c ity for the i n nite and h e c ried aloud ,

Away away Thou sp e akes t of things whi c h t hroughout

,
2 7o A NA LE C TS FRO M RICH TER .

Th e y are c ommonl y c alled tasters (o r Proeg u sta t ores) be c ause

th e y eat a mouthful o f e ve ry book befor e hand and t e ll t h e ,

people wh e ther its a v our b e good W e authors in S pite .

, ,

c all them revi ewers : but I belie ve an a c tion o f defamation

woul d lie again st us for su c h bad words Th e tasters writ e .

no books th e ms e l v es c onsequ e ntl y the y ha v e t h e more time

t o look o v er and tax those o f oth e r people O r if they do .
,

someti m es write books th e y are bad ones : whi c h again is

,

v er y ad v antage ous to th e m ; for who c an understand the

th e or y of badness in oth e r peopl e s books so wel l as those
who ha v e learn e d it b y pra c ti c e in their o w n Th e y are ?
r e puted the guardians o f literatur e and t h e li te rati for the
sam e reason that S t N epomuk is the patron saint o f bridges
.

and o f all who pass o v er them viz be c ause he himself .

,

on c e lost his li f e from a b ridge .

F E M A L E T ON GU E S .

H ippel ,
the author o f the book Upon M arriage say s

,

A woman that does not talk must be a stupid woman .

But H ipp e l is an author whose O pinions it is more safe to

admi r e than to adopt The most int e lligent wom e n a re
.

O ft e n S il e nt amongst women and a gain the most stupid and ,

the most silent a re ofte n nei t her o n e nor the other e x c ept
a m o ngst m e n I n general t h e c urrent re m ark upon men is
.

v alid also with r e sp e c t to women that those for t h e most

part are t h e gr e at e st think e rs w h o a re the l e ast talk e rs as
frogs c e ase to c roak when ligh t is brought to the wat e r e dge .

H owe v er in fa c t the disproportionat e talking of wom e n

, ,

aris e s o u t o f t h e s e d e ntarin e ss o f their labours : s e dentary

a rt iz a n s as tailors shoemakers w e a v e rs ha v e this habit as
, , , ,

w e ll as h y po chondria c al tend e n c ies in c ommon with women .

Apes do not talk as sa v ages say that they ma y n o t be set t o

, ,
 ANA L E C TS FROM RI C H TRE . 2 7 1

work ; but women O ft e n talk doubl e th e ir share even be c ause

th e y work .

F O RG I V E N E SS .

Nothing is more mo v ing to man than t h e spe c ta cl e o f

r e c on ciliation o u r weaknesse s are thus ind e mni e d and a re

not too c ostly being the pri c e we pa y f o r the hour o f
forgi v e ness : and the ar c ha n ge l who has n e v er fe lt ange r
, ,

has reason to e nvy t h e man who subdu e s it Wh e n thou .

f o rgiv e st t h e m an who h a s pi e r c e d th y heart stands to the e

in t h e r e lation o f the se a worm that p e rforat e s t h e sh e ll o f
-

t h e mussel whi c h straightwa y c los e s the wound with a

,

p e arl
.

The gra v es o f the best of men o f the noblest marty rs a re

, , ,

like t h e gra v e s o f the H e rrnhuters (the M ora v ian Bre thr e n ) ,

l e vel and undistinguishabl e from the uni versal e arth and ,

if the heart c ould gi v e up her se c r e t s o u r whole glob e would

,

appear a W e stminst e r Abb e y laid at Ah ! what a .

multitud e of t e ars what m y riads o f blood y drops ha v e b e e n

,

sh e d in s e cr e cy about t h e thre e c orner trees o f e arth the

t r ee o f life the tree o f knowl e dge and the tree o f fre edom
, ,

sh e d but ne ve r re c koned ! I t is onl y great p e riods of

,

c alamit y that re v e al to us o ur great men as c om e ts a re ,

re ve al e d b y total e clip se s of t h e su n N o t mer e l y upon t h e

.

e ld o f battl e but also upon the c onse crated soil o f v irt u e

, ,

and upon t h e classi c ground o f truth thousand s o f n a m e less

,

hero e s mu st fall and struggl e to build up t h e footstool f r om

w hi c h hi story surv e y s the o n e h e re whose name is e mbal m e d
, ,

b l e e dingc onqu e ring and r e sp l e nd e nt Th e grand e st o f

.

h e roi c d e eds are thos e whi c h a re p e rfor m e d within four

walls and in domesti c pri v a cy And be c ause history re c ords
.
,
2 72 ANA L E C TS FROM RICH TER .

onl y the s e lf sa cri ce s o f the male sex and be cause she dips
-

her pen onl y in blood therefore is it that in the ey es o f the

,

unse e n S pirit o f the world o u r annals app e ar doubtless far

more beautif ul and noble than in o ur own .

T HE G RAN D E U R OF MAN I N HI S L I TT L EN E SS .

M an upon this earth would be hollo wness v ani ty and ,

dust and ashes v apour and a bubbl e were it not that he

, , ,

fe lt hims e lf to be so That it is possible for him to harbour

.

su c h a fe elingthis b y imply ing a c omparison o f him se lf

,

with something higher in himself this is i t whi c h makes him ,

the immortal c reature that he is .

N I G HT .

The eart h is e very day o v erspread with the v eil o f night ,

for the same reason as the c ages o f birds are darkenedviz .

,

that we m ay the more readil y apprehend the higher

h a rm o n ics o f thought in the hush and quiet o f darkness .

Thoughts whi c h day turns in t o smoke and mist stand

, ,

about us in the night as lights and ames ; e ve n as the

c olumn whi c h u ctuates abo v e the c rater o f V esu v ius in t h e ,

day time appears a pillar o f cloud b y night a pillar o f re , .

T
T H E S ARS .

Look up and behold

,
ternal elds o f light that l ie
t he e

round about the throne o f G od H ad no star e ver appeared .

in t h e hea v ens to man there would ha v e been no hea v ens

,

and he would ha v e laid himsel f down to his last sleep in a ,

spirit of anguish as upon a gloom y earth v aul t ed o ver by

,

a material ar c h solid and imper viou s .

2 74 ANA L E C TS FR OM RICH TER .

the desolation mad e around us by death i f sleept he ante ,

chamber o f the gra v e w e re not hung b y dreams with t h e

busts of thos e w h o li ve in the other world .

TWO D I V I SI O N S O F PH I L O SO PH I C MI N DS .

There a re t wo v e ry diff ere nt c lasses o f philosophi cal

h e ads whi c h sin c e Kant has introdu c e d into philosoph y
, ,

t h e id e a o f positi v e and negati v e quantiti e s I shall ,

willingl y c lassify b y means o f tha t distin c tion The po si tive .

intelle c t is like the po e t in c o nj un c tion with the out e r

, ,

world t h e father of an inner world and lik e the poet also

, , ,

holds up a transformi n g mirror in whi c h t h e entangled and

di storted m e m bers as th e y a re seen in o ur a c tual experien c e
e nt e r into new c ombinations whi c h c ompose a fair and
l uminous world : the h y pothesis of I d e alism the
F i chtean sy stem ) the M onads and the Pre establish e d
,
-

H armony o f Leibnitz and S pinozism are all births of a ,

g e nial mom e nt and not the wooden c ar v ing o f logi c al toil

, .

S u c h m e n therefore as L eibnitz Plato H erder e t c I c all

, , , , , .
,

p o siti v e int e ll e c t s b e c ause th e y se e k and y i e ld the positi ve

and be c aus e their inn e r world ha v ing raised itself higher
,

o u t o f t h e wat e r than in oth e rs th e r e b y o v erlooks a larg e r

,

pro spe c t o f island and c ontin e nts A negati v e h e ad on the

.
,

other han d di sc o v ers b y its a c uten e ss not an y po siti v e

,

truths but t h e n e gati v e

,
the errors) o f other people '
.

S u c h an int e ll e c t a s for example Ba yl e o n e of the great e st

, , ,

o f that c las s appraises t h e funds o f oth e r s rather than ,

brings an y f re sh funds o f his o w n I n lieu o f the obs c ure .

id e as whi c h he nds he gi ves us clear on e s but in this th e re

is no positi ve a cc es sion to o ur knowl e dge for all that the
c l e ar idea c ontains in de v elopm e nt exists already by im pl i
'

c ation in t h e obs c ure idea Ne gati v e intelle c ts o f e v ery a ge

.
 ANA L E C TS FROM RICH TER . 27 5

a re unan i m ous in their abhorren c e of e v ery thing positi ve .

I mpulse fe eling instin c te very thing in short whi c h is

, , , ,

in c ompre hensible th e y c an endure j ust on c e that is at

, ,

the summit o f their chain of arguments as a sort o f hook ,

on whi ch they may hang them but ne ve r afterwards ,

.

D I GN I T Y O F MAN I N SE L F SAC I F I CE
-
R .

That for whi c h man off e rs up his blood o r his property

, ,

m ust b e more v aluabl e than th e y A good man do e s not .

ght with half the c ourage for his own life that h e shows in
the prote c tion o f another s The mother who will hazard

.
,

nothing for herself will hazard all in d e fen c e o f her c hild

,

in short onl y for t h e nobilit y within us onl y for v irtue wi l l

, , ,

man open his v e ins and o ff er up his spirit but this

nobility this v irtue presents di ff ere nt phas e s with the
, ,

C hristian m a r ty r it is faith with the sa v age it is honour

with the r e publi c an it is libert y .

d by W
P r in te AL T E R S CO TT , Fe lling , N ewca stle -
on -T yr w.

l9
THE CAMEL OT CL ASSI CS .

VOL UME S A LREA D Y I S S UE D .

R O MA N CE OF KI N G A RT HUR .

BY S I R T H O MA S MAL O R Y . E d it e d by E R N E ST
R H YS .

WA L DE N . D AV I D T H O RE AU
BY H E N R Y .

W i th Int r odu c t o r y N o t b y W I L L H DI R C KS
e . .

CO N FE S S I O N S OFA N E N GL I S H O PI UME AT E R -
.

BY T H O MAS DE Q U I N C E Y W it h Int r du c t ion b y . o

W I LL I A M S H A R P .

IMA GI N A RY CO N V E R S AT I O N S .

BY W AL T E R S AV AG E L AN D O R . W it h In trodu c t ion
b y H A V E L O C K E LL I S .

PL UT A RCH S L I V E S

BY J . AN D W . L AN G H O R N E . W i th Introdu ction
by B E R N A R D J S N E LL M A B S c
.
, . .
, . .

S I R T HO MAS BRO WN E S R E L I GI O ME DI CI &c

.
,

E di t e d , wi th In t r odu c t i n b y JO H N ADDI N GT O N S Y M O N D S
o ,
.

E S S AYS AND L E TT E R S .

BY P E R C Y B Y S S H E S HE L L E Y . E di t e d , wi t h
In t r o d uc tion b y E R N E S T R H YS
, .

PR O SE WR IT I N GS OF S WI FT .

W it h In t r d u c t i n b y W A L T L W I N
o o ER E .

T h e S e r i e s is i ssu e d in t wo st yl es o f B in d in g R e d C o t h , l
C u t E d ge s ; a nd a rk B u eD l C l o th, U n cu t E d g e s E it h e r .

yl IC
St e , P R E O N E S NG H I LL I .

L o nd o n : WALT E R SC O T T , 24 Wa rwi ck L a ne , Pa te rn o ste r RO W .

 The Ca n t e rb u ry Po e t s

N OW RE AD Y , PRICE O N E S HI L L I N G,

SO ETS OF THI S CENTURY

//
.

Wz t z
'

cm E x za us t ive a nd Crit ica l E ssay

on t ke S o nnet .

BY W IL L IAM SH ARP .

S O N N E TS BY
Lo rd T e nny s on . E d w rd Dowd
a e n.

R o b e r t B r o wn i n g . E dm d G ss
un o e.

A C . . S wi nb r u ne . A dr w L
n g
e an .

M a tth e w Arn o l d . G o rg M r d i th
e e e e .

T he o d r W tts o e a . C rd i l N w m
a na e an.

Ar c h b i s h p T r ch o en .
By T H E L AT E

J Add i g to S ym o d s
. n n n . G b ri l R ss tt i
Da nt e a e o e .

W B l l S c tt
. e o . M r s B rr tt B r wn i ng
. a e o .

C hr i s t i R ss tt ina o e . C T nnyso n T rn r t
. e -
u e , e c.

And a ll th e B st Wri t r s f th C n t ry
e e o e e u .

h arp h as pro d u ce d so nne t b o o k whi ch re pres en ts th e b e st

Mr S

/
. a -

cr f tsm nshi p o f th ni ne te e nth ce ntu ry n d suppli e s th pub l i c witl

a a e , a e

an int res ti ng gu id e to th e te chni ca li ties

e o f t h e su jct
b e Tu .

L O N DON :

W AL TE R S C O TT, 2 4 W r w ic k
a L a n e , Pa tr
e n os te r Ro w .
 NE W V O L UME S OF THE SERIE S .

By th e A u th o rs o f O ur Q u ee n,

G r a ce D rlia ng ,

e t c.

UEENS OF L I TERATURE
OF T HE V I CT O R I AN E RA .

C ON TA N I I NG L IV ES 0 F

MAR Y S O M E RV I L L E ,

T he Q ue e n of S c i nc
e e.

HARR I E T M ART I N E AU ,

T h e Po li t i c l
a E c ono mist .

I
E L Z ABE T H B ARRE T T B R O W N I N G ,

T h e E ng li s h S a pp ho .

C HAR L O T T E B RO N T E ,

T he M o o r l a nd Ro m an c i st .

G E O RG E E L IOT,
T he Gr t ea N o ve li st .

FE L I C IA H E M AN S ,
T h e Po e t of W om h d an oo .

4 o th T ho s d C r o wn 8 vo I ll us t r a t e d Cl oth B e ve ll e d
u an .
, , ,

Bo a rd s 2 5 6 d Gil t E d g e s 3s
,
. .
, .

O U R Q U E E N :

A S kew}: f f lu: L if e a nd By Me A u ilzo rs

'

o Ti m e s of V z cl o rz a .

o f Gra ce Da rl ing .

L OND ON : WAL TE R S C O TT, 24 W a wi c k

r L a ne , P t r st r R
a e no e ow .
 JUS T P UBL I S H E D .

Cover, Price O ne S kz l l z ng ; C10 112, I9

' '

. . 6d .

T HE HEAT HER

O N FI R E:

A TA L E OF TH E

H I GH L A N D CL E A R A N C E S .

PO E M BY MA T H I L DE BL I N D .

L O N DO N : W AL T E R S C O TT ,

2 4 WARW ICK L AN E PATE RN O ST E R

,
RO W .
 T Y N E S I DE

S U N DAY L E CT U RE S .

N o w R ea ay , P rice Tkre epe nce E a cI c

.

THE N AT URA L HI ST O RY OF I N ST I N CT .

BY G J R O M AN E S , F R S
. . . . .

A N I MA L L I FE O N THE O CE A N S URFA CE .

BY PR O FE SSO R H N . . M O SE L E Y M A , . .
,
FR S. . .

THE EYE AND I TS WO RK

BY L I T T O N F O RB E S M D
,
. .
,

THE MO V E ME NTS OF PL A NTS .

BY E R N E S T A PAR KYN , M A . . .

T h e Fo ur L e ct ur e s m a y b e h a d in O ne V o l. , C l oth , P ri c e

L O N DO N : WAL T E R S C O T T ,
2 4 W AR W I C K L AN E ,

PAT E RN O ST E R R O W .
 ( t h e C a n t e rb u ry lpo e t s .

T H E

CHI L DREN OF THE POETS:

AN A N T H O L O G Y,

Fro m E ng l ish a nd A m e r ica n Wr it e rs of

T h ree Ce nt u r ies .

E D ITED , W I TH IN T RO D UC T I O N ,

BY E R I C RO BE RT S O N , M A . .

Thi s V l
o um e co n a n t
t r i b ut i o n s b y L o rd
i s co n

T e nny s o n W i ll i a m Be ll S co tt Ro b e rt Br o wn i ng
, , ,

e s R us s e ll L o we ll Ge o r g e Ma c d o n l d A l r
Ja m , g e n o na ,

C h a r l e s S wi nb u r ne T h e o d o r e W a tt s Au s t i n Do b s o n
, , ,

H n R o d n N o e l E d m und Go ss e Ro b e r t L o u i s
o . e , ,

S t e ve n s o n e t c e t c
, .
,
.

0
9 4 L O N DO N :

WAL T E R S C O T T , 24 W rwi ck
a L a ne , Pa t e rnost r e Ro w
.

(7