the history of caliph vathek-第22部分

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he　preserved　her　countenance　unaltered；　and　even　paid　her　compliments　with　considerable　firmness。

This　superb　monarch　thus　answered：　　〃Princess；　whose　knowledge　and　whose　crimes　have　merited　a　conspicuous　rank　in　my　empire；　thou　dost　well　to　employ　the　leisure　that　remains；　for　the　flames　and　torments；　which　are　ready　to　seize　on　thy　heart；　will　not　fail　to　provide　thee　with　full　employment。〃　　He　said　this；　and　was　lost　in　the　curtains　of　his　tabernacle。

Carathis　paused　for　a　moment　with　surprise；　but；　resolved　to　follow　the　advice　of　Eblis；　she　assembled　all　the　choirs　of　Genii；　and　all　the　Dives；　to　pay　her　homage；　thus　marched　she　in　triumph　through　a　vapour　of　perfumes；　amidst　the　acclamations　of　all　the　malignant　spirits；　with　most　of　whom　she　had　formed　a　previous　acquaintance；　she　even　attempted　to　dethrone　one　of　the　Solimans　for　the　purpose　of　usurping　his　place；　when　a　voice；　proceeding　from　the　abyss　of　Death；　proclaimed；　〃All　is　accomplished！〃　　Instantaneously　the　haughty　forehead　of　the　intrepid　princess　was　corrugated　with　agony；　she　uttered　a　tremendous　yell；　and　fixed；　no　more　to　be　withdrawn；　her　right　hand　upon　her　heart；　which　was　become　a　receptacle　of　eternal　fire。

In　this　delirium；　forgetting　all　ambitious　projects　and　her　thirst　for　that　knowledge　which　should　ever　be　hidden　from　mortals；　she　overturned　the　offerings　of　the　Genii；　and；　having　execrated　the　hour　she　was　begotten　and　the　womb　that　had　borne　her；　glanced　off　in　a　whirl　that　rendered　her　invisible；　and　continued　to　revolve　without　intermission。

At　almost　the　same　instant　the　same　voice　announced　to　the　Caliph；　Nouronihar；　the　five　princes；　and　the　princess；　the　awful　and　irrevocable　decree。　　Their　hearts　immediately　took　fire；　and　they　at　once　lost　the　most　precious　of　the　gifts　of　HeavenHope。　　These　unhappy　beings　recoiled　with　looks　of　the　most　furious　distraction；　Vathek　beheld　in　the　eyes　of　Nouronihar　nothing　but　rage　and　vengeance；　nor　could　she　discern　aught　in　his　but　aversion　and　despair。　　The　two　princes　who　were　friends；　and　till　that　moment　had　preserved　their　attachment；　shrank　back；　gnashing　their　teeth　with　mutual　and　unchangeable　hatred。　　Kalilah　and　his　sister　made　reciprocal　gestures　of　imprecation；　whilst　the　two　other　princes　testified　their　horror　for　each　other　by　the　most　ghastly　convulsions；　and　screams　that　could　not　be　smothered。　　All　severally　plunged　themselves　into　the　accursed　multitude；　there　to　wander　in　an　eternity　of　unabating　anguish。

Such　was；　and　such　should　be；　the　punishment　of　unrestrained　passions　and　atrocious　actions！　　Such　is；　and　such　should　be；　the　chastisement　of　blind　ambition；　that　would　transgress　those　bounds　which　the　Creator　hath　prescribed　to　human　knowledge；　and；　by　aiming　at　discoveries　reserved　for　pure　Intelligence；　acquire　that　infatuated　pride；　which　perceives　not　that　the　condition　appointed　to　man　is　to　be　ignorant　and　humble。

Thus　the　Caliph　Vathek；　who；　for　the　sake　of　empty　pomp　and　forbidden　power；　had　sullied　himself　with　a　thousand　crimes；　became　a　prey　to　grief　without　end；　and　remorse　without　mitigation；　whilst　the　humble　and　despised　Gulchenrouz　passed　whole　ages　in　undisturbed　tranquillity；　and　the　pure　happiness　of　childhood。





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