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I spent the following day roaming through the valley. I stood beside the sources of the Arveiron, which take their rise in a glacier, that with slow pace is advancing down from the summit of the hills to barricade the valley. The abrupt sides of vast mountains were before me; the icy wall of the glacier overhung me; a ... | 1,471 | long | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
Where had they fled when the next morning I awoke? All of soul-inspiriting fled with sleep, and dark melancholy clouded every thought. The rain was pouring in torrents, and thick mists hid the summits of the mountains, so that I even saw not the faces of those mighty friends. Still I would penetrate their misty veil an... | 1,045 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
The ascent is precipitous, but the path is cut into continual and short windings, which enable you to surmount the perpendicularity of the mountain. It is a scene terrifically desolate. In a thousand spots the traces of the winter avalanche may be perceived, where trees lie broken and strewed on the ground, some entire... | 1,462 | long | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
We rest; a dream has power to poison sleep. We rise; one wand’ring thought pollutes the day. We feel, conceive, or reason; laugh or weep, Embrace fond woe, or cast our cares away; It is the same: for, be it joy or sorrow, The path of its departure still is free. Man’s yesterday may ne’er be like his morrow; Nought may ... | 342 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
It was nearly noon when I arrived at the top of the ascent. For some time I sat upon the rock that overlooks the sea of ice. A mist covered both that and the surrounding mountains. Presently a breeze dissipated the cloud, and I descended upon the glacier. The surface is very uneven, rising like the waves of a troubled ... | 1,201 | long | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
As I said this I suddenly beheld the figure of a man, at some distance, advancing towards me with superhuman speed. He bounded over the crevices in the ice, among which I had walked with caution; his stature, also, as he approached, seemed to exceed that of man. I was troubled; a mist came over my eyes, and I felt a fa... | 970 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Devil,” I exclaimed, “do you dare approach me? And do not you fear the fierce vengeance of my arm wreaked on your miserable head? Begone, vile insect! Or rather, stay, that I may trample you to dust! And, oh! That I could, with the extinction of your miserable existence, restore those victims whom you have so diabolic... | 335 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“I expected this reception,” said the dæmon. “All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us. You purpose to kill me. How dare you sp... | 608 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Be calm! I entreat you to hear me before you give vent to your hatred on my devoted head. Have I not suffered enough, that you seek to increase my misery? Life, although it may only be an accumulation of anguish, is dear to me, and I will defend it. Remember, thou hast made me more powerful than thyself; my height is ... | 1,015 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“How can I move thee? Will no entreaties cause thee to turn a favourable eye upon thy creature, who implores thy goodness and compassion? Believe me, Frankenstein, I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity; but am I not alone, miserably alone? You, my creator, abhor me; what hope can I gather from your fe... | 1,707 | long | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Why do you call to my remembrance,” I rejoined, “circumstances of which I shudder to reflect, that I have been the miserable origin and author? Cursed be the day, abhorred devil, in which you first saw light! Cursed (although I curse myself) be the hands that formed you! You have made me wretched beyond expression. Yo... | 446 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Thus I relieve thee, my creator,” he said, and placed his hated hands before my eyes, which I flung from me with violence; “thus I take from thee a sight which you abhor. Still thou canst listen to me and grant me thy compassion. By the virtues that I once possessed, I demand this from you. Hear my tale; it is long an... | 793 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
As he said this he led the way across the ice; I followed. My heart was full, and I did not answer him, but as I proceeded, I weighed the various arguments that he had used and determined at least to listen to his tale. I was partly urged by curiosity, and compassion confirmed my resolution. I had hitherto supposed him... | 972 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“It is with considerable difficulty that I remember the original era of my being; all the events of that period appear confused and indistinct. A strange multiplicity of sensations seized me, and I saw, felt, heard, and smelt at the same time; and it was, indeed, a long time before I learned to distinguish between the ... | 1,379 | long | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“It was dark when I awoke; I felt cold also, and half frightened, as it were, instinctively, finding myself so desolate. Before I had quitted your apartment, on a sensation of cold, I had covered myself with some clothes, but these were insufficient to secure me from the dews of night. I was a poor, helpless, miserable... | 430 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Soon a gentle light stole over the heavens and gave me a sensation of pleasure. I started up and beheld a radiant form rise from among the trees. [The moon] I gazed with a kind of wonder. It moved slowly, but it enlightened my path, and I again went out in search of berries. I was still cold when under one of the tree... | 693 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Several changes of day and night passed, and the orb of night had greatly lessened, when I began to distinguish my sensations from each other. I gradually saw plainly the clear stream that supplied me with drink and the trees that shaded me with their foliage. I was delighted when I first discovered that a pleasant so... | 846 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“The moon had disappeared from the night, and again, with a lessened form, showed itself, while I still remained in the forest. My sensations had by this time become distinct, and my mind received every day additional ideas. My eyes became accustomed to the light and to perceive objects in their right forms; I distingu... | 511 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“One day, when I was oppressed by cold, I found a fire which had been left by some wandering beggars, and was overcome with delight at the warmth I experienced from it. In my joy I thrust my hand into the live embers, but quickly drew it out again with a cry of pain. How strange, I thought, that the same cause should p... | 1,117 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“It was morning when I awoke, and my first care was to visit the fire. I uncovered it, and a gentle breeze quickly fanned it into a flame. I observed this also and contrived a fan of branches, which roused the embers when they were nearly extinguished. When night came again I found, with pleasure, that the fire gave li... | 741 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Food, however, became scarce, and I often spent the whole day searching in vain for a few acorns to assuage the pangs of hunger. When I found this, I resolved to quit the place that I had hitherto inhabited, to seek for one where the few wants I experienced would be more easily satisfied. In this emigration I exceedin... | 929 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“It was about seven in the morning, and I longed to obtain food and shelter; at length I perceived a small hut, on a rising ground, which had doubtless been built for the convenience of some shepherd. This was a new sight to me, and I examined the structure with great curiosity. Finding the door open, I entered. An old... | 1,153 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“It was noon when I awoke, and allured by the warmth of the sun, which shone brightly on the white ground, I determined to recommence my travels; and, depositing the remains of the peasant’s breakfast in a wallet I found, I proceeded across the fields for several hours, until at sunset I arrived at a village. How mirac... | 1,433 | long | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Here, then, I retreated and lay down happy to have found a shelter, however miserable, from the inclemency of the season, and still more from the barbarity of man. As soon as morning dawned I crept from my kennel, that I might view the adjacent cottage and discover if I could remain in the habitation I had found. It w... | 728 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Having thus arranged my dwelling and carpeted it with clean straw, I retired, for I saw the figure of a man at a distance, and I remembered too well my treatment the night before to trust myself in his power. I had first, however, provided for my sustenance for that day by a loaf of coarse bread, which I purloined, an... | 573 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Being thus provided, I resolved to reside in this hovel until something should occur which might alter my determination. It was indeed a paradise compared to the bleak forest, my former residence, the rain-dropping branches, and dank earth. I ate my breakfast with pleasure and was about to remove a plank to procure my... | 1,337 | long | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“On examining my dwelling, I found that one of the windows of the cottage had formerly occupied a part of it, but the panes had been filled up with wood. In one of these was a small and almost imperceptible chink through which the eye could just penetrate. Through this crevice a small room was visible, whitewashed and ... | 1,544 | long | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Soon after this the young man returned, bearing on his shoulders a load of wood. The girl met him at the door, helped to relieve him of his burden, and taking some of the fuel into the cottage, placed it on the fire; then she and the youth went apart into a nook of the cottage, and he showed her a large loaf and a pie... | 707 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“The old man had, in the meantime, been pensive, but on the appearance of his companions he assumed a more cheerful air, and they sat down to eat. The meal was quickly dispatched. The young woman was again occupied in arranging the cottage, the old man walked before the cottage in the sun for a few minutes, leaning on ... | 837 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Night quickly shut in, but to my extreme wonder, I found that the cottagers had a means of prolonging light by the use of tapers, and was delighted to find that the setting of the sun did not put an end to the pleasure I experienced in watching my human neighbours. In the evening the young girl and her companion were ... | 788 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“I lay on my straw, but I could not sleep. I thought of the occurrences of the day. What chiefly struck me was the gentle manners of these people, and I longed to join them, but dared not. I remembered too well the treatment I had suffered the night before from the barbarous villagers, and resolved, whatever course of ... | 510 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“This day was passed in the same routine as that which preceded it. The young man was constantly employed out of doors, and the girl in various laborious occupations within. The old man, whom I soon perceived to be blind, employed his leisure hours on his instrument or in contemplation. Nothing could exceed the love an... | 535 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“They were not entirely happy. The young man and his companion often went apart and appeared to weep. I saw no cause for their unhappiness, but I was deeply affected by it. If such lovely creatures were miserable, it was less strange that I, an imperfect and solitary being, should be wretched. Yet why were these gentle... | 854 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“A considerable period elapsed before I discovered one of the causes of the uneasiness of this amiable family: it was poverty, and they suffered that evil in a very distressing degree. Their nourishment consisted entirely of the vegetables of their garden and the milk of one cow, which gave very little during the winte... | 583 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“This trait of kindness moved me sensibly. I had been accustomed, during the night, to steal a part of their store for my own consumption, but when I found that in doing this I inflicted pain on the cottagers, I abstained and satisfied myself with berries, nuts, and roots which I gathered from a neighbouring wood. | 315 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“I discovered also another means through which I was enabled to assist their labours. I found that the youth spent a great part of each day in collecting wood for the family fire, and during the night I often took his tools, the use of which I quickly discovered, and brought home firing sufficient for the consumption o... | 335 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“I remember, the first time that I did this, the young woman, when she opened the door in the morning, appeared greatly astonished on seeing a great pile of wood on the outside. She uttered some words in a loud voice, and the youth joined her, who also expressed surprise. I observed, with pleasure, that he did not go t... | 408 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“By degrees I made a discovery of still greater moment. I found that these people possessed a method of communicating their experience and feelings to one another by articulate sounds. I perceived that the words they spoke sometimes produced pleasure or pain, smiles or sadness, in the minds and countenances of the hear... | 1,461 | long | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“I spent the winter in this manner. The gentle manners and beauty of the cottagers greatly endeared them to me; when they were unhappy, I felt depressed; when they rejoiced, I sympathised in their joys. I saw few human beings besides them, and if any other happened to enter the cottage, their harsh manners and rude gai... | 1,181 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“I could mention innumerable instances which, although slight, marked the dispositions of these amiable cottagers. In the midst of poverty and want, Felix carried with pleasure to his sister the first little white flower that peeped out from beneath the snowy ground. Early in the morning, before she had risen, he clear... | 832 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“This reading had puzzled me extremely at first, but by degrees I discovered that he uttered many of the same sounds when he read as when he talked. I conjectured, therefore, that he found on the paper signs for speech which he understood, and I ardently longed to comprehend these also; but how was that possible when I... | 890 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“I had admired the perfect forms of my cottagers—their grace, beauty, and delicate complexions; but how was I terrified when I viewed myself in a transparent pool! At first I started back, unable to believe that it was indeed I who was reflected in the mirror; and when I became fully convinced that I was in reality the... | 497 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“As the sun became warmer and the light of day longer, the snow vanished, and I beheld the bare trees and the black earth. From this time Felix was more employed, and the heart-moving indications of impending famine disappeared. Their food, as I afterwards found, was coarse, but it was wholesome; and they procured a su... | 476 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“The old man, leaning on his son, walked each day at noon, when it did not rain, as I found it was called when the heavens poured forth its waters. This frequently took place, but a high wind quickly dried the earth, and the season became far more pleasant than it had been. | 274 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“My mode of life in my hovel was uniform. During the morning I attended the motions of the cottagers, and when they were dispersed in various occupations, I slept; the remainder of the day was spent in observing my friends. When they had retired to rest, if there was any moon or the night was star-light, I went into th... | 774 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“My thoughts now became more active, and I longed to discover the motives and feelings of these lovely creatures; I was inquisitive to know why Felix appeared so miserable and Agatha so sad. I thought (foolish wretch!) that it might be in my power to restore happiness to these deserving people. When I slept or was abse... | 770 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“These thoughts exhilarated me and led me to apply with fresh ardour to the acquiring the art of language. My organs were indeed harsh, but supple; and although my voice was very unlike the soft music of their tones, yet I pronounced such words as I understood with tolerable ease. It was as the ass and the lap-dog; yet... | 463 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“The pleasant showers and genial warmth of spring greatly altered the aspect of the earth. Men who before this change seemed to have been hid in caves dispersed themselves and were employed in various arts of cultivation. The birds sang in more cheerful notes, and the leaves began to bud forth on the trees. Happy, happ... | 618 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Spring advanced rapidly; the weather became fine and the skies cloudless. It surprised me that what before was desert and gloomy should now bloom with the most beautiful flowers and verdure. My senses were gratified and refreshed by a thousand scents of delight and a thousand sights of beauty. | 295 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“It was on one of these days, when my cottagers periodically rested from labour—the old man played on his guitar, and the children listened to him—that I observed the countenance of Felix was melancholy beyond expression; he sighed frequently, and once his father paused in his music, and I conjectured by his manner tha... | 476 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“It was a lady on horseback, accompanied by a country-man as a guide. The lady was dressed in a dark suit and covered with a thick black veil. Agatha asked a question, to which the stranger only replied by pronouncing, in a sweet accent, the name of Felix. Her voice was musical but unlike that of either of my friends. ... | 700 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Felix seemed ravished with delight when he saw her, every trait of sorrow vanished from his face, and it instantly expressed a degree of ecstatic joy, of which I could hardly have believed it capable; his eyes sparkled, as his cheek flushed with pleasure; and at that moment I thought him as beautiful as the stranger. ... | 858 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“I soon perceived that although the stranger uttered articulate sounds and appeared to have a language of her own, she was neither understood by nor herself understood the cottagers. They made many signs which I did not comprehend, but I saw that her presence diffused gladness through the cottage, dispelling their sorr... | 1,151 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“As night came on, Agatha and the Arabian retired early. When they separated Felix kissed the hand of the stranger and said, ‘Good night sweet Safie.’ He sat up much longer, conversing with his father, and by the frequent repetition of her name I conjectured that their lovely guest was the subject of their conversation... | 438 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“The next morning Felix went out to his work, and after the usual occupations of Agatha were finished, the Arabian sat at the feet of the old man, and taking his guitar, played some airs so entrancingly beautiful that they at once drew tears of sorrow and delight from my eyes. She sang, and her voice flowed in a rich c... | 383 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“When she had finished, she gave the guitar to Agatha, who at first declined it. She played a simple air, and her voice accompanied it in sweet accents, but unlike the wondrous strain of the stranger. The old man appeared enraptured and said some words which Agatha endeavoured to explain to Safie, and by which he appea... | 402 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“The days now passed as peaceably as before, with the sole alteration that joy had taken place of sadness in the countenances of my friends. Safie was always gay and happy; she and I improved rapidly in the knowledge of language, so that in two months I began to comprehend most of the words uttered by my protectors. | 317 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“In the meanwhile also the black ground was covered with herbage, and the green banks interspersed with innumerable flowers, sweet to the scent and the eyes, stars of pale radiance among the moonlight woods; the sun became warmer, the nights clear and balmy; and my nocturnal rambles were an extreme pleasure to me, alth... | 555 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“My days were spent in close attention, that I might more speedily master the language; and I may boast that I improved more rapidly than the Arabian, who understood very little and conversed in broken accents, whilst I comprehended and could imitate almost every word that was spoken. | 285 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“The book from which Felix instructed Safie was Volney’s _Ruins of Empires_. I should not have understood the purport of this book had not Felix, in reading it, given very minute explanations. He had chosen this work, he said, because the declamatory style was framed in imitation of the Eastern authors. Through this wo... | 919 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“These wonderful narrations inspired me with strange feelings. Was man, indeed, at once so powerful, so virtuous and magnificent, yet so vicious and base? He appeared at one time a mere scion of the evil principle and at another as all that can be conceived of noble and godlike. To be a great and virtuous man appeared ... | 770 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Every conversation of the cottagers now opened new wonders to me. While I listened to the instructions which Felix bestowed upon the Arabian, the strange system of human society was explained to me. I heard of the division of property, of immense wealth and squalid poverty, of rank, descent, and noble blood. | 310 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“The words induced me to turn towards myself. I learned that the possessions most esteemed by your fellow creatures were high and unsullied descent united with riches. A man might be respected with only one of these advantages, but without either he was considered, except in very rare instances, as a vagabond and a sla... | 954 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“I cannot describe to you the agony that these reflections inflicted upon me; I tried to dispel them, but sorrow only increased with knowledge. Oh, that I had for ever remained in my native wood, nor known nor felt beyond the sensations of hunger, thirst, and heat! | 265 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Of what a strange nature is knowledge! It clings to the mind when it has once seized on it like a lichen on the rock. I wished sometimes to shake off all thought and feeling, but I learned that there was but one means to overcome the sensation of pain, and that was death—a state which I feared yet did not understand. ... | 863 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Other lessons were impressed upon me even more deeply. I heard of the difference of sexes, and the birth and growth of children, how the father doted on the smiles of the infant, and the lively sallies of the older child, how all the life and cares of the mother were wrapped up in the precious charge, how the mind of ... | 465 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“But where were my friends and relations? No father had watched my infant days, no mother had blessed me with smiles and caresses; or if they had, all my past life was now a blot, a blind vacancy in which I distinguished nothing. From my earliest remembrance I had been as I then was in height and proportion. I had neve... | 466 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“I will soon explain to what these feelings tended, but allow me now to return to the cottagers, whose story excited in me such various feelings of indignation, delight, and wonder, but which all terminated in additional love and reverence for my protectors (for so I loved, in an innocent, half-painful self-deceit, to ... | 332 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Some time elapsed before I learned the history of my friends. It was one which could not fail to impress itself deeply on my mind, unfolding as it did a number of circumstances, each interesting and wonderful to one so utterly inexperienced as I was. | 251 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“The name of the old man was De Lacey. He was descended from a good family in France, where he had lived for many years in affluence, respected by his superiors and beloved by his equals. His son was bred in the service of his country, and Agatha had ranked with ladies of the highest distinction. A few months before my... | 540 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“The father of Safie had been the cause of their ruin. He was a Turkish merchant and had inhabited Paris for many years, when, for some reason which I could not learn, he became obnoxious to the government. He was seized and cast into prison the very day that Safie arrived from Constantinople to join him. He was tried ... | 546 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Felix had accidentally been present at the trial; his horror and indignation were uncontrollable when he heard the decision of the court. He made, at that moment, a solemn vow to deliver him and then looked around for the means. After many fruitless attempts to gain admittance to the prison, he found a strongly grated... | 1,013 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“The Turk quickly perceived the impression that his daughter had made on the heart of Felix and endeavoured to secure him more entirely in his interests by the promise of her hand in marriage so soon as he should be conveyed to a place of safety. Felix was too delicate to accept this offer, yet he looked forward to the... | 386 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“During the ensuing days, while the preparations were going forward for the escape of the merchant, the zeal of Felix was warmed by several letters that he received from this lovely girl, who found means to express her thoughts in the language of her lover by the aid of an old man, a servant of her father who understoo... | 471 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“I have copies of these letters, for I found means, during my residence in the hovel, to procure the implements of writing; and the letters were often in the hands of Felix or Agatha. Before I depart I will give them to you; they will prove the truth of my tale; but at present, as the sun is already far declined, I sha... | 377 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Safie related that her mother was a Christian Arab, seized and made a slave by the Turks; recommended by her beauty, she had won the heart of the father of Safie, who married her. The young girl spoke in high and enthusiastic terms of her mother, who, born in freedom, spurned the bondage to which she was now reduced. ... | 989 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“The day for the execution of the Turk was fixed, but on the night previous to it he quitted his prison and before morning was distant many leagues from Paris. Felix had procured passports in the name of his father, sister, and himself. He had previously communicated his plan to the former, who aided the deceit by quit... | 438 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Safie resolved to remain with her father until the moment of his departure, before which time the Turk renewed his promise that she should be united to his deliverer; and Felix remained with them in expectation of that event; and in the meantime he enjoyed the society of the Arabian, who exhibited towards him the simp... | 527 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“The Turk allowed this intimacy to take place and encouraged the hopes of the youthful lovers, while in his heart he had formed far other plans. He loathed the idea that his daughter should be united to a Christian, but he feared the resentment of Felix if he should appear lukewarm, for he knew that he was still in the... | 666 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“The government of France were greatly enraged at the escape of their victim and spared no pains to detect and punish his deliverer. The plot of Felix was quickly discovered, and De Lacey and Agatha were thrown into prison. The news reached Felix and roused him from his dream of pleasure. His blind and aged father and ... | 824 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“They found a miserable asylum in the cottage in Germany, where I discovered them. Felix soon learned that the treacherous Turk, for whom he and his family endured such unheard-of oppression, on discovering that his deliverer was thus reduced to poverty and ruin, became a traitor to good feeling and honour and had quit... | 454 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Such were the events that preyed on the heart of Felix and rendered him, when I first saw him, the most miserable of his family. He could have endured poverty, and while this distress had been the meed of his virtue, he gloried in it; but the ingratitude of the Turk and the loss of his beloved Safie were misfortunes m... | 410 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“When the news reached Leghorn that Felix was deprived of his wealth and rank, the merchant commanded his daughter to think no more of her lover, but to prepare to return to her native country. The generous nature of Safie was outraged by this command; she attempted to expostulate with her father, but he left her angri... | 359 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“A few days after, the Turk entered his daughter’s apartment and told her hastily that he had reason to believe that his residence at Leghorn had been divulged and that he should speedily be delivered up to the French government; he had consequently hired a vessel to convey him to Constantinople, for which city he shou... | 521 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“When alone, Safie resolved in her own mind the plan of conduct that it would become her to pursue in this emergency. A residence in Turkey was abhorrent to her; her religion and her feelings were alike averse to it. By some papers of her father which fell into her hands she heard of the exile of her lover and learnt t... | 634 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“She arrived in safety at a town about twenty leagues from the cottage of De Lacey, when her attendant fell dangerously ill. Safie nursed her with the most devoted affection, but the poor girl died, and the Arabian was left alone, unacquainted with the language of the country and utterly ignorant of the customs of the ... | 578 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“As yet I looked upon crime as a distant evil, benevolence and generosity were ever present before me, inciting within me a desire to become an actor in the busy scene where so many admirable qualities were called forth and displayed. But in giving an account of the progress of my intellect, I must not omit a circumsta... | 396 | short | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“One night during my accustomed visit to the neighbouring wood where I collected my own food and brought home firing for my protectors, I found on the ground a leathern portmanteau containing several articles of dress and some books. I eagerly seized the prize and returned with it to my hovel. Fortunately the books wer... | 687 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“I can hardly describe to you the effect of these books. They produced in me an infinity of new images and feelings, that sometimes raised me to ecstasy, but more frequently sunk me into the lowest dejection. In the _Sorrows of Werter_, besides the interest of its simple and affecting story, so many opinions are canvas... | 1,119 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“As I read, however, I applied much personally to my own feelings and condition. I found myself similar yet at the same time strangely unlike to the beings concerning whom I read and to whose conversation I was a listener. I sympathised with and partly understood them, but I was unformed in mind; I was dependent on non... | 629 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“The volume of _Plutarch’s Lives_ which I possessed contained the histories of the first founders of the ancient republics. This book had a far different effect upon me from the _Sorrows of Werter_. I learned from Werter’s imaginations despondency and gloom, but Plutarch taught me high thoughts; he elevated me above th... | 1,488 | long | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“But _Paradise Lost_ excited different and far deeper emotions. I read it, as I had read the other volumes which had fallen into my hands, as a true history. It moved every feeling of wonder and awe that the picture of an omnipotent God warring with his creatures was capable of exciting. I often referred the several si... | 943 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Another circumstance strengthened and confirmed these feelings. Soon after my arrival in the hovel I discovered some papers in the pocket of the dress which I had taken from your laboratory. At first I had neglected them, but now that I was able to decipher the characters in which they were written, I began to study t... | 1,355 | long | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“These were the reflections of my hours of despondency and solitude; but when I contemplated the virtues of the cottagers, their amiable and benevolent dispositions, I persuaded myself that when they should become acquainted with my admiration of their virtues they would compassionate me and overlook my personal deform... | 880 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Several changes, in the meantime, took place in the cottage. The presence of Safie diffused happiness among its inhabitants, and I also found that a greater degree of plenty reigned there. Felix and Agatha spent more time in amusement and conversation, and were assisted in their labours by servants. They did not appea... | 708 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“I endeavoured to crush these fears and to fortify myself for the trial which in a few months I resolved to undergo; and sometimes I allowed my thoughts, unchecked by reason, to ramble in the fields of Paradise, and dared to fancy amiable and lovely creatures sympathising with my feelings and cheering my gloom; their a... | 596 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“Autumn passed thus. I saw, with surprise and grief, the leaves decay and fall, and nature again assume the barren and bleak appearance it had worn when I first beheld the woods and the lovely moon. Yet I did not heed the bleakness of the weather; I was better fitted by my conformation for the endurance of cold than he... | 1,264 | long | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“The winter advanced, and an entire revolution of the seasons had taken place since I awoke into life. My attention at this time was solely directed towards my plan of introducing myself into the cottage of my protectors. I revolved many projects, but that on which I finally fixed was to enter the dwelling when the bli... | 732 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“One day, when the sun shone on the red leaves that strewed the ground and diffused cheerfulness, although it denied warmth, Safie, Agatha, and Felix departed on a long country walk, and the old man, at his own desire, was left alone in the cottage. When his children had departed, he took up his guitar and played sever... | 596 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
“My heart beat quick; this was the hour and moment of trial, which would decide my hopes or realise my fears. The servants were gone to a neighbouring fair. All was silent in and around the cottage; it was an excellent opportunity; yet, when I proceeded to execute my plan, my limbs failed me and I sank to the ground. A... | 559 | medium | 001-Frankenstein-Or-The-Modern-Prometheus-by-Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley-4569-pg84.txt |
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