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13 |From
44 |
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13 | It was on a dreary night of November
14 | that I beheld the frame on whic my man compleatteed., And
15 | with an anxiety that almost amount
16 | ed to agony I collected instruments of life
17 | around me and endeavour to that I might einfuse a
18 | spark of being into the lifeless thinkg
19 | that lay at my feet. It was already
20 | one in the morning, the rain pattered
21 | dismally against the window panes, &
22 | my candle was nearly burnt out, when
23 | by the glimmer of the half extinguish
24 | ed light I saw the dull yellow eye of
25 | the creature open.—It breathed hard,
26 | and a convulsive motion agitated
27 | its limbs.
28 |
30 | But how How can I describe my
31 | emotion at this catastrophe; or how deli
32 | neate the wretch whom with such
33 | infinite pains and care I had endeavoured
34 | to form. His limbs were in proportion
35 | and I had selected his features h as
36 | handsome handsome beautiful. Handsome; Great God! His
37 | dun yellow skin scarcely covered the work of
38 | muscles and arteries beneath; his hair
39 | was of a lustrous black & flowing and his teeth of a pearly white
40 | ness but these luxuriancies only fomed
41 | formed a more horrid contrast with
42 | his watry eyes that seemed almost of
43 | the same colour as the dun white
44 | sockets in which they were set,
45 |
13 | It was on a dreary night of November
14 | that I beheld the frame on whic my man compleatteed., And
15 | with an anxiety that almost amount
16 | ed to agony I collected instruments of life
17 | around me and endeavour to that I might einfuse a
18 | spark of being into the lifeless thinkg
19 | that lay at my feet. It was already
20 | one in the morning, the rain pattered
21 | dismally against the window panes, &
22 | my candle was nearly burnt out, when
23 | by the glimmer of the half extinguish
24 | ed light I saw the dull yellow eye of
25 | the creature open.—It breathed hard,
26 | and a convulsive motion agitated
27 | its limbs.
28 |
30 | But how How can I describe my
31 | emotion at this catastrophe; or how deli
32 | neate the wretch whom with such
33 | infinite pains and care I had endeavoured
34 | to form. His limbs were in proportion
35 | and I had selected his features h as
36 | handsome handsome beautiful. Handsome; Great God! His
37 | dun yellow skin scarcely covered the work of
38 | muscles and arteries beneath; his hair
39 | was of a lustrous black & flowing and his teeth of a pearly white
40 | ness but these luxuriancies only fomed
41 | formed a more horrid contrast with
42 | his watry eyes that seemed almost of
43 | the same colour as the dun white
44 | sockets in which they were set,
45 |
54 |
CC-BY-SA 20 | 4.0
Transcription of a single page taken from the manuscripts of Mary 25 | Shelley’s
40 | It was on a dreary night of November
41 | that I beheld at.And
42 | with an anxiety that almost amount
43 | ed to agony I collected instruments of life
44 | around me and endeavour to e
45 | spark of being into the lifeless think
46 | that lay at my feet. It was already
47 | one in the morning, the rain pattered
48 | dismally against the window panes, &
49 | my candle was nearly burnt out, when
50 | by the glimmer of the half extinguish
51 | ed light I saw the dull yellow eye of
52 | the creature open.
53 | and a convulsive motion agitated
54 | its limbs.
55 |
57 | But how How can I describe my
58 | emotion at this catastrophe; or how deli
59 | neate the wretch whom with such
60 | infinite pains and care I had endeavoured
61 | to form. His limbs were in proportion
62 | and I had selected his features h as
63 | handsome Handsome
64 | dun
65 | muscles and arteries beneath; his hair
66 | was
67 | ness but these luxuriancfomed
68 | formed a more horrid contrast with
69 | his watry eyes that seemed almost of
70 | the same colour as the dun white
71 | sockets in which they were set,
72 |
Academic use only
18 |Information about the source
21 |Some text here
27 | 158 | 159 |Dariah Teach MOOC: Digital Scholarly Editions. This file is for exercise only, not to 13 | distribute.
14 |Add information about the source
17 | 18 |St. Petersburgh, Dec. 11th, 17—
30 |TO Mrs. Saville, England
31 |You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an 32 | enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings. I arrived here 33 | yesterday, and my first task is to assure my dear sister of my welfare and increasing 34 | confidence in the success of my undertaking.
35 |I am already far north of London, and as I walk in the streets of Petersburgh, I feel 36 | a cold northern breeze play upon my cheeks, which braces my nerves and fills me with 37 | delight. Do you understand this feeling? This breeze, which has travelled from the 38 | regions towards which I am advancing, gives me a foretaste of those icy climes. 39 | Inspirited by this wind of promise, my daydreams become more fervent and vivid. I try 40 | in vain to be persuaded that the pole is the seat of frost and desolation; it ever 41 | presents itself to my imagination as the region of beauty and delight. There, 42 | Margaret, the sun is forever visible, its broad disk just skirting the horizon and 43 | diffusing a perpetual splendour. There—for with your leave, my sister, I will put 44 | some trust in preceding navigators—there snow and frost are banished; and, sailing 45 | over a calm sea, we may be wafted to a land surpassing in wonders and in beauty every 46 | region hitherto discovered on the habitable globe. Its productions and features may 47 | be without example, as the phenomena of the heavenly bodies undoubtedly are in those 48 | undiscovered solitudes. What may not be expected in a country of eternal light? I may 49 | there discover the wondrous power which attracts the needle and may regulate a 50 | thousand celestial observations that require only this voyage to render their seeming 51 | eccentricities consistent forever. I shall satiate my ardent curiosity with the sight 52 | of a part of the world never before visited, and may tread a land never before 53 | imprinted by the foot of man. These are my enticements, and they are sufficient to 54 | conquer all fear of danger or death and to induce me to commence this laborious 55 | voyage with the joy a child feels when he embarks in a little boat, with his holiday 56 | mates, on an expedition of discovery up his native river. But supposing all these 57 | conjectures to be false, you cannot contest the inestimable benefit which I shall 58 | confer on all mankind, to the last generation, by discovering a passage near the pole 59 | to those countries, to reach which at present so many months are requisite; or by 60 | ascertaining the secret of the magnet, which, if at all possible, can only be 61 | effected by an undertaking such as mine.
62 |These reflections have dispelled the agitation with which I began my letter, and I 63 | feel my heart glow with an enthusiasm which elevates me to heaven, for nothing 64 | contributes so much to tranquillize the mind as a steady purpose—a point on which the 65 | soul may fix its intellectual eye. This expedition has been the favourite dream of my 66 | early years. I have read with ardour the accounts of the various voyages which have 67 | been made in the prospect of arriving at the North Pacific Ocean through the seas 68 | which surround the pole. You may remember that a history of all the voyages made for 69 | purposes of discovery composed the whole of our good Uncle Thomas' library. My 70 | education was neglected, yet I was passionately fond of reading. These volumes were 71 | my study day and night, and my familiarity with them increased that regret which I 72 | had felt, as a child, on learning that my father's dying injunction had forbidden my 73 | uncle to allow me to embark in a seafaring life.
74 |These visions faded when I perused, for the first time, those poets whose effusions 75 | entranced my soul and lifted it to heaven. I also became a poet and for one year 76 | lived in a paradise of my own creation; I imagined that I also might obtain a niche 77 | in the temple where the names of Homer and Shakespeare are consecrated. You are well 78 | acquainted with my failure and how heavily I bore the disappointment. But just at 79 | that time I inherited the fortune of my cousin, and my thoughts were turned into the 80 | channel of their earlier bent.
81 |Six years have passed since I resolved on my present undertaking. I can, even now, 82 | remember the hour from which I dedicated myself to this great enterprise. I commenced 83 | by inuring my body to hardship. I accompanied the whale-fishers on several 84 | expeditions to the North Sea; I voluntarily endured cold, famine, thirst, and want of 85 | sleep; I often worked harder than the common sailors during the day and devoted my 86 | nights to the study of mathematics, the theory of medicine, and those branches of 87 | physical science from which a naval adventurer might derive the greatest practical 88 | advantage. Twice I actually hired myself as an under-mate in a Greenland whaler, and 89 | acquitted myself to admiration. I must own I felt a little proud when my captain 90 | offered me the second dignity in the vessel and entreated me to remain with the 91 | greatest earnestness, so valuable did he consider my services. And now, dear 92 | Margaret, do I not deserve to accomplish some great purpose? My life might have been 93 | passed in ease and luxury, but I preferred glory to every enticement that wealth 94 | placed in my path. Oh, that some encouraging voice would answer in the affirmative! 95 | My courage and my resolution is firm; but my hopes fluctuate, and my spirits are 96 | often depressed. I am about to proceed on a long and difficult voyage, the 97 | emergencies of which will demand all my fortitude: I am required not only to raise 98 | the spirits of others, but sometimes to sustain my own, when theirs are failing.
99 |This is the most favourable period for travelling in Russia. They fly quickly over 100 | the snow in their sledges; the motion is pleasant, and, in my opinion, far more 101 | agreeable than that of an English stagecoach. The cold is not excessive, if you are 102 | wrapped in furs—a dress which I have already adopted, for there is a great difference 103 | between walking the deck and remaining seated motionless for hours, when no exercise 104 | prevents the blood from actually freezing in your veins. I have no ambition to lose 105 | my life on the post-road between St. Petersburgh and Archangel. I shall depart for 106 | the latter town in a fortnight or three weeks; and my intention is to hire a ship 107 | there, which can easily be done by paying the insurance for the owner, and to engage 108 | as many sailors as I think necessary among those who are accustomed to the 109 | whale-fishing. I do not intend to sail until the month of June; and when shall I 110 | return? Ah, dear sister, how can I answer this question? If I succeed, many, many 111 | months, perhaps years, will pass before you and I may meet. If I fail, you will see 112 | me again soon, or never. Farewell, my dear, excellent Margaret. Heaven shower down 113 | blessings on you, and save me, that I may again and again testify my gratitude for 114 | all your love and kindness.
115 |Your affectionate brother,
116 |R. Walton
117 |