Memorials and Other Papers — Volume 1De Quincey, Thomas
General
Memorials and Other Papers — Volume 1
De Quincey, Thomas
English essays
was placed in a common English clock-case, having the usual glass face;
but a veil of white velvet obscured from all profane eyes the silent
features behind. The clock I had myself seen, when a child, and had
gazed upon it with inexpressible awe. But, naturally, on my report of
the case, the whole of our party were devoured by a curiosity to see the
departed fair one. Had Mr. White, indeed, furnished us with the key of
the museum, leaving us to our own discretion, but restricting us only
(like a cruel Bluebeard) from looking into any ante-room, great is my
fear that the perfidious question would have arisen amongst us--what
o'clock it was? and all possible ante-rooms would have given way to the
just fury of our passions. I submitted to Lady Carbery, as a liberty
which might be excused by the torrid extremity of our thirst after
knowledge, that she (as our leader) should throw out some angling
question moving in the line of our desires; upon which hint Mr. White,
if he had any touch of indulgence to human infirmity--unless Mount
Caucasus were his mother, and a she-wolf his nurse--would surely relent,
and act as his conscience must suggest. But Lady Carbery reminded me
of the three Calendars in the "Arabian Nights," and argued that, as the
ladies of Bagdad were justified in calling upon a body of porters to
kick those gentlemen into the street, being people who had abused the
indulgences of hospitality, much more might Mr. White do so with us; for
the Calendars were the children of kings (Shahzades), which we were not;
and had found their curiosity far more furiously irritated; in fact,
Zobeide had no right to trifle with any man's curiosity in that
ferocious extent; and a counter right arose, as any chancery of human
nature would have ruled, to demand a solution of what had been so
maliciously arranged towards an anguish of insupportable temptation.
Thus, however, it happened that the mummy, who left such valuable
legacies, and founded such bilious fevers of curiosity, was not seen by
us; nor even the miserable clock-case.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account