(1819) The Vampyre: A Tale By John William Polidori, 1795-1821

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LONDON: PRINTED FOR S HER WOOD, NEE LY, AND JONES, PATERNOSTER-ROW.

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Crown Court, Fleet Street, London.

EXTRACT OF A

EXTRACT OF A LETTER

FROM GENEVA.

"

I

breathe freely in the neighbourhood of

this lake

been

upon which

from the

subdued

principal

my

the ground

;

to

earliest

tread has

ages

which immediately

objects

eye, bring

I

my

recollection

;

the

strike

scenes, in

which man acted the hero and was the chief

Not

object of interest.

times

f battles

Rousseau

and

here

is

to look

back to

earlier

sieges, here is the bust of

a house with an inscription

denoting that the Genevan philosopher

drew breath under the

town

is

roof.

A

little

out of

Ferney, the residence of Voltaire

where that

many

its

first

;

wonderful, though certainly in character, re-

respects contemptible,

ceived, like the hermits of old, the visits of pilgrims, not only from his

from

the

farthest

own

boundaries

nation, but

of

Eu*eip.

$ /&

Extract of a Letter from Geneva.

viii

Here too

is

Bonnet's abode, and, a few steps

beyond, the house of that astonishing

Madame sex,

de Stael

who

:

perhaps the

has really proved

its

women who

novels

and poems,

of her

often claimed

We have before

equality with the nobler man.

had

first

woman

have written interesting in

which

ob-

their tact at

serving drawing-room characters has availed

them but never since the days of Heloise have ;

those faculties which are peculiar to man, been as

developed

woman.

the

inheritance

possible

Though even

of

here, as in the case

of Heloise, our sex have not been backward

an Abeilard in

in alledging the existence of

the person of M. Schlegel as the inspirer of her

works.

But

to proceed

:

upon the same

side

of the lake, Gibbon, Bonnivard, Bradshaw,

and others mark, as progress is

;

it

were, the stages for our

whilst upon the other side there

one house, built by Diodati, the friend of

Milton, .which has contained within for several

months, that poet

so often read together,

whom we have

and who

passions remain the same, and

its walls,

if

human

human

feelings,

Extract of a Letter from Geneva. like

chords, on being swept by nature's im-

pulses shall vibrate as before

by posterity

Canto of Childe Harold

heard, or the Third

have informed

will

you, that Lord Byron resided in this

neighbourhood.

friends a few days ago,

I

many months

went with some having seen

after

Ferney, to view this mansion. floors

same

with the

respect as

we

had but

lived with little

awe and

I

I sat

down

satisfied

myself

found a servant there

him

;

the

his

who

gave

me

She pointed out

his

she, however,

information.

bed-chamber upon

same

level as the

and dining-room, and informed me

saloon

that he retired to rest at three, got

up

and employed himself a long time toilette

Shak-

what he had made

resting on

constant seat.

trod the

did, together, those of

a chair of the saloon, and

was

I

of

feelings

speare's dwelling at Stratford.

that I

be placed

will

rank of our English

in the first

You must have

Poets.

in

ix

;

a pair of

that he never pistols

went

at two,

.over his

to sleep without

and a dagger by

that he never eat animal food.

his side,

and

He apparently

Extract of a Letter from Geneva.

x

spent some part of every day upon the lake in

There

an English boat.

a balcony from

is

which looks upon the lake and the

the saloon

mountain Jura

and

;

I

imagine, that

it

must

have been hence, he contemplated the storm so

described

magnificently

Canto

;

you have

for

extensive view of

pine, whilst

all

here

a

most

the points he has therein

all

can fancy him

I

depicted.

from

Third

the

in

like the scathed

around was sunk

to repose,

what gave but a weak image of the storms which had desolated his

still

waking

to observe,

own breast. The sky

And Yet

is

changed !

and such a change

;

Oh, night !

storm and darkness, ye are wond'rous strong, lovely in your strength, as

Of a dark eye

From peak Leaps the

in

woman

!

is

the light

Far along

to peak, the rattling crags

live

thunder

among,

Not from one

!

lone cloud,

But every mountain now hath found a tongue,

And Jura Back

answers thro' her misty shroud,

to the joyous Alps

And

who

this is in the night

Thou wer't not

:

call to

her aloud

!

Most glorious night !

sent for slumber! let

A sharer in thy far and fierce delight,

me be ,

Extract of a Letter from Geneva.

A portion of the tempest and of How the lit lake And

me

!

shines a phosphoric sea,

the big rain cornea dancing- to the earth

And now again 'tis black, Of the loud bills As if they

Now

swift

!

and now the glee

shakes with

did rejoice o'er a

where the

xi

its

mountain mirth,

young earthquake's

birth,

Rhine cleaves his way between

Heights which appear, as lovers who hare parted

In haste, whose mining depths so intervene,

That they can meet no more,

tho'

broken hearted ;

Tho* in their souls which thus each other thwarted,

Love was the very root of the fond rage

Which

blighted their

Itself expired,

Of years

I

all

bloom, and then departed

life's

but leaving them an age

winter

went down

war within themselves

to the

little

to

wage.

port, if I

may use

the expression, wherein his vessel used to lay,

and conversed with the care of

it.

You may

cottager,

who had

the

smile, but I have

pleasure in thus helping

my

my personification

of

the individual I admire, by attaining to the

knowledge of

were

daily

those

circumstances

around him.

merous enquiries

in the

but can learn nothing. society there once,

I

which

have made nu-

town concerning him,

He

when M.

only went into Pictet took

him

Extract of a Letter from Geneva.

xii

house of a lady to spend the evening.

to the

They say he seem

to think

and

a very singular man,

is

him very

uncivil.

Amongst

other things they relate, that having invited

M.

and

Pictet

Bonstetten

went on the lake tleman

who

H

,

but

upon

her

ladyship's

room

to

friend,

he

promised to attend,

approaching

be

full

desiring

villa,

windows

the

and

tell

me

is

the

down

to plead his excuse,

immediately returned home. as a contradiction

of

perceiving

of company, he set

him

receive

house of Lady

the

to

to

a gen-

Another even-

his apologies.

being invited

D

him

he

dinner,

to Chillon, leaving

travelled with

them and make ing,

to

his

and

This will serve

to the report

which you

current in England, of his having

been avoided by his countrymen on the continent.

reverse,

The as

case happens to be directly the

he has been generally

sought

by them, though on most occasions, apparently without success.

that

upon paying

It

is

said, indeed,

his first visit at Coppet, fol-

lowing the servant

who had announced

his

Extract of a Letter from Geneva,

xiii

name, he was surprised to meet a lady carried out fainting

;

but before he had been seated

"minutes, the

many

same

lady,

who had been

so affected at the sound of his name, returned

and conversed with him a considerable timesuch

is

visited

female curiosity and affectation

!

He

Coppet frequently, and of course as-

sociated there with several of his countrymen,

who

evinced no reluctance to meet him

his enemies alone

whom

would represent as an out-

cast.

Though I

town,

I

have been so unsuccessful

have been more fortunate in

There

quiries elsewhere.

is

in this

my

en-

a society three

or four miles from Geneva, the centre of which is

the Countess of Breuss, a Russian lady,

well acquainted with the agremens de la Societe,

and who has

self at

collected

her mansion.

find, that the

It

gentleman

them round her-

was

who

chiefly here, I

travelled with

Lord Byron, as physician, sought

He

for society.

used almost every day to cross the lake by

himself, in one of their flat-bottomed boats,

and return

after

passing the evening with

Extract of a Letter from Geneva.

xiv

his friends, about eleven or twelve at night,

often whilst the storms circling

As

were raging

in the

summits of the mountains around.

he became intimate, from long acquaint-

ance,

with

several of

neighbourhood,

have

I

the

families in this

gathered from their

accounts some excellent traits of his lordship's character,

whieh

I will relate to

future opportunity.

I

must,

you at some

however, free

him from one imputation attached to him of having in his house two sisters as the This

partakers of his revels. other charges

is,

like

many

which have been brought against

his lordship, entirely destitute of truth.

only companion already

was

mentioned.

His

the

physician I have

The

report originated

from the following circumstance

:

Mr. Percy

Bysshe Shelly, a gentleman well known

for

extravagance of doctrine, and for his daring, in their profession, even to sign himself with

the

title

of AOw? in the

having taken a house resided with Miss

Album

at

Chamouny,

below, in which he

M. W.Godwin and Miss

Clermont, (the daughters

of the celebrated

Extract of a Letter from Geneva.

Mr. Godwin) they were frequently Diodati,

and were

often seen

which

visitors at

upon the lake

with his Lordship, which gave report, the truth of

xv

rise

to the

here positively

is

denied.

Among other things which the lady, from whom I procured these anecdotes, related to me, she mentioned, the outline of a ghost story

by Lord Byron. Lord

B.,

It

Mr. P. B.

appears that one evening Shelly, the

two

ladies

and

the gentleman before alluded to, after having

perused a

German work, which was

entitled

Phantasmagoriana, began relating ghost sto-

when

his lordship

having recited the

beginning of Christabel,

then unpublished,

ries

;

the whole took so strong a hold of Mr. Shelly's

mind, that he suddenly started up and ran out of the

room.

Byron

followed,

The

physician

and Lord

and discovered him leaning

against a mantle -piece, with cold drops perspiration trickling

having

given

him

down

his face.

something

to

of

After refresh

him, upon enquiring into the cause of his alarm, they found that his wild imagination

Extract of a Letter from Geneva.

xvi

having pictured to him the bosom of one of the ladies with eyes (which

was reported

of

a lady in the neighbourhood where he lived)

he was obliged to leave the room destroy the impression.

It

in order to

was afterwards

proposed, in the course of conversation, that

each of the company present should write a tale

depending upon some supernatural agency,

which was undertaken by Lord B., the physician,

and Miss M.

W. Godwin.* My friend,

the lady above referred to, had in her possession the outline of each of these stories

;

I

obtained them as a great favour, and herewith

forward them to you, as

would

feel

as

much

I

was assured you

curiosity as myself, to

peruse the ebauches of so great a genius, and those immediately under his influence."

* Since published under the

Modern Prometheus."

title

of " Frankenstein ;

or,

The

THE VAMPYRE.

INTRODUCTION

THE founded

upon which

superstition is

this tale is

very general in the East.

the Arabians not, however,

it

appears to

extend

be

itself to

Among

common

it

:

the Greeks until

after the establishment of Christianity it

has only assumed

its

;

and

present form since

the division of the Latin and at

did

Greek churches

;

which time, the idea becoming prevalent,

that a Latin

body could not corrupt

in their territory,

it

if

gradually increased, and

formed the subject of many wonderful still

extant, of

the

buried

stories,

dead rising from

their

and feeding upon the blood of the young and beautiful. In the West it spread, with some slight variation, all over Hungary, graves,

Poland,

Austria, and

Lorraine, where

8 2

the

XX

INTRODUCTION,

vampyres nightly imbibed

belief existed, that

a certain portion of the blood of their victims,

who became

emaciated, lost their strength,

and speedily died of consumptions these

human

their veins

blood-suckers

became distended

;

fattened to

whilst

and

such a state

of repletion, as to cause the blood to flow from all

the passages of their bodies,

and even from

the very pores of their skins.

In the

London Journal, of March, 1732,

is

a curious, and, of course, credible account of a particular case of vampyrism, which

is

stated

to

have occurred at Madreyga, in Hungary.

It

appears, that upon an examination of the

commander-in-chief and magistrates of the place,

they positively and unanimously af-

firmed, that, about five years before, a certain

Heyduke, named Arnold Paul, had been heard to say, that, at Cassovia,

the Turkish Servia, he

on the frontiers of

had been tormented

by a vampyre, but had found a way

by eating some of the

himself of the

evil,

earth out of

vampyre's

tjie

himself with his

to rid

blood.

grjave,

and rubbing

This precaution,

INTRODUCTION.

XXI

however, did not prevent him from becoming

a vampyre* himself;

about twenty or

for,

thirty days after his death

and

many

burial,

persons complained of having been tormented

by him, and a deposition was made, persons had been deprived of

To

tacks.

life

that four

by

his at-

prevent further mischief, the inha-

bitants having consulted their

up the body, and found

it

(as

Hadagni,^ took is

supposed to

be usual in cases of vampyrism) fresh, and entirely free

from corruption, and emitting at the

mouth, nose, and ears, pure and

florid blood.

Proof having been thus obtained, they resorted to

the

accustomed remedy.

A

stake

was

driven entirely through the heart and body of

Arnold Paul, at which he

is

reported to have

cried out as dreadfully as if he

This done, they cut

had been

off his head,

alive.

burned

his

body, and threw the ashes into his grave.

The same measures were adopted with

*

The

universal belief

is,

that a person sucked

becomes a vampyre himself, and sucks in his turn, t Chief

bailiff.

the

by a vampyre

INTRODUCTION.

XX11

who had

corses of those persons

died from vampyrjsm,

they should, in

lest

become agents upon

their turn,

previously

others

who

survived them.

This monstrous rodomontade because

lated,

is

seems better adapted

it

illustrate the subject of the present

tions than

here reto

observa-

any other instance which could be

adduced.

In

parts of

many

Greece

it

is

considered as a sort of punishment after death, for

some heinous crime committed whilst

existence, that the deceased

is

not only

to vampyrise, but compelled

doomed

to confine his

infernal visitations solely to those beings

loved most while upon earth

he was bound by

r~A

ties of

those to

he

whom

kindred and affection.

" Giaour.'' supposition alluded to in the

But

Thy

first

And

on

earth, as

corse shall from

Then

Vampyre

its

sent,

tomb be rent ;

ghastly haunt the native place,

suck the blood of

all

There from thy daughter,

At

in

thy race

;

sister, wife,

midnight drain the stream of life

Yet loathe

the,

Must feed thy

;

banquet which perforce livid living corse,

r

INTRODUCTION. Thy victims, know

Shall

As

ere they yet expire,

demon

the

for their sire

flowers are withered on the stem.

But one

The

that for thy crime must

fall,

youngest, heat beloved of all,

name-

Shall bless thee with a father's

That word

shall

wrap thy heart in flame

Yet thou must end thy

task and

Her

her eye's

cheek's last tinge

And the Which

The

mark last spark,

freezes o'er its lifeless blue

tresses of

which, in

her yellow

life

a lock

is

shall tear

hair,

was worn

borne away by thee

Memorial of thine agony

Yet with

;

when shorn

Affection's fondest pledge

But now

thine

!

own best blood

shall drip

Thy gnashing tooth, and haggard lip Then

!

must view

last glassy glance

Then with unhallowed hand

Go

;

cursing thee, thou cursing them,

Thy

Of

XX111

;

;

stalking to thy sullen grave,

and with Gouls and Afrits rave,

Till these in horror shrink

jFrom spectre

Mr. Southey has but beautiful

away

more accursed than

poem

they.

also introduced in his wild

of

"

Thalaba," the vam-

pyre corse of the Arabian maid Oneiza,

who

XXIV is

INTRODUCTION.

from the

represented as having returned

grave for the purpose of tormenting him she best

loved

whilst

But

existence.

in

this

cannot be supposed to have resulted from the sinfulness of her

she being pourtrayed

life,

throughout the whole of the tale as a complete type of purity and innocence.

The veracious

Tournefort gives a long account in his travels of several astonishing cases of vampyrism, to

which he pretends witness

;

to

and Calmet,

this subject,

have been

in his great

work upon

besides a variety of anecdotes,

and traditionary narratives effects,

an eye-

illustrative of its

has put forth some learned dissertations,

tending to prove

it

to

be a

classical, as well as

barbarian error.

Many

curious and interesting

notices on

this singularly horrible superstition

might be

added; though the present may

suffice for

the limits of a note, necessarily devoted to explanation,

and which may now be concluded by

merely remarking, that though the term pyre

is

Vam-

the one in most general acceptation,

INTRODUCTION.

XXV

there are several others synonimous with

made use

it,

of in various parts of the world

:

as Vroucolocha, Vardoulacha, Goul, Broucoloka, &c.

THE VAMPYRE.

IT happened that in the midst of the tions attendant

dissipa-

upon a London winter, there

appeared at the various parties of the leaders of the ton a nobleman,

more remarkable

He

his singularities, than his rank.

upon

for

gazed

the mirth around him, as if he could not

participate

therein.

Apparently,

the

light

laughter of the fair only attracted his attention, that he

might by a look

fear into those breasts

reigned.

Those who

quell

it

to tJ^e

and throw

where thoughtlessness felt this

awe, could not explain whence attributed

it,

it

sensation

arose

:

of

some

dead grey eye, which,

fix-

28

THE VAMPYRE.

ing upon the object's face, did not seem to

and

penetrate,

at

one glance to pierce through

inward workings of the heart

to the

;

but

fell

upon the cheek with a leaden ray that weighed upon the skin arities all

it

could not passi

His peculi-

caused him to be invited to every house

wished

to see him,

;

and those who had been

accustomed to violent excitement, and now

felt

the weight of ennui, were pleased at having

something

in their presence capable of engag-

ing their attention.

In spite of the deadly hue

of his face, which never gained a either

warmer

tint,

from the blush of modesty, or from the

strong emotion of passion, though

and outline were

beautiful,

many

its

form

of the female

hunters after notoriety attempted to win his attentions,

and

gain, at least,

some marks of

what they might term affection Lady Mercer, who had been the mockery of every monster :

shewn

in

drawing-rooms since her marriage,

threw herself in his way, and did

all

but

put on the dress of a mountebank, to attract his

notice

:

though in vain

:

when she

stood before him, though his eyes were ap-

THE VAMPYRK. parently fixed upon her's,

they were unperceived

impudence was

still it

seemed as

if

even her unappalled

;

baffled,

29

and she

left

the

field.

But though the common adultress could not influence even the guidance of his eyes,

not that the female sex yet such

was

was

it

indifferent to

was

him

:

the apparent caution with which

he spoke to the virtuous wife and innocent daughter, that few

knew he

He

himself to females.

ever addressed

had, however, the

reputation of a winning tongue it

was

that

it

;

and whether

even overcame the dread of his

moved

singular character, or that they were

by

his apparent hatred of vice, he

among

their sex

those

who form

those females

was

as often

the boast of

from their domestic virtues, as among

who

sully it

by

their vices.

About the same time,

there

a young gentleman of the he was an orphan

left

came

name

to

of

with an only

the possession of great wealth,

London

Aubrey

:

sister in

by parents who

died while he

was

also to himself

by guardians, who thought

yet in childhood.

Left it

their duty merely to take care of his fortune,

THE VAMPYRE.

30

while they relinquished the more important

charge of his mind to the care of mercenary subalterns, he cultivated

more

He had,

than his judgment.

his imagination

hence, that high

romantic feeling of honour and candour, which daily ruins so

He believed all

many

milliners'

to sympathise

apprentices.

with virtue, and

thought that vice was thrown in by Providence

merely for the picturesque effect of the scene, as

we see in romances he thought that the :

misery

of a cottage merely consisted in the vesting of clothes,

which were as warm, but which were

better adapted to the painter's eye

regular folds

by

their ir-

and various coloured patches. He

thought, in fine, that the dreams of poets were

He was handsome,

the realities of life.

and rich into the

:

for these reasons,

gay

circles,

upon

frank,

his entering

many mothers surrounded

him, striving which should describe with least truth their languishing or romping favourites

the

daughters

at

the

same time, by

.

:

their

brightening countenances when he approached,

and by

their sparkling eyes,

his lips, soon led

him

when he opened

into false notions of his

THE VAMPYRE. talents

and

31

Attached as he was to

his merit.

the romance of his

solitary hours,

he was

startled at finding, that, except in the taltfrvv

and wax candles

that flickered, not from the

presence of a ghost, but from want of snuffing,

was no foundation

there

in real life for

that congeries of pleasing pictures

any of

and de-

scriptions contained in those volumes, from

which he had formed

his study.

Finding,

however, some compensation in his gratified vanity, he

when

was about

to relinquish his dreams,

the extraordinary being

described, crossed

him

we have above

in his career.

He watched him and the very impossibility ;

of forming an idea of the character of a entirely absorbed in himself,

man

who gave few

other signs of his observation of external ob-

than the tacit assent to their existence,

jects,

implied by the avoidance of their contact

:

allowing his imagination to picture every thing that

flattered

ideas,

its

propensity to extravagant

he soon formed

this object into the hero

of a romance, and determined to observe the offspring of his fancy, rather than the person

32

THE VAMPYRE.

He became acquainted with him,

before him.

paid him attentions, and so far advanced upon his notice, that his presence

cognised.

He

Ruthven's

affairs

was always

gradually learnt

re-

Lord

that

were embarrassed, and soon

found, from the notes of preparation in Street, that he

was about

some information respecting

of gaining

singular character, who,

till

tour,

it

which

this

now, had only

whetted his curiosity, he hinted ians, that

Desirous

to travel.

to his

guard-

was time for him to perform the for

many

generations has been

thought necessary to enable the young to take

some rapid

steps in the career of vice towards

putting themselves upon an equality with the

aged, and not allowing them to appear as if fallen

from the

intrigues

are

whenever scandalous

skies,

mentioned as the subjects of

pleasantry or of praise, 'according to the de-

gree of

skill

shewn

They consented

:

them

in carrying

on.

and Aubrey immediately

mentioning his intentions to 'Lord Ruthven,

was surprised to join him.

to receive

from him a proposal

Flattered by such a

mark

of

THE VAMPYRE.

33

esteem from him, who, apparently, had nothing in it,

common with other men, and

he gladly accepted

a few days they had passed the

in

circling waters.

Hitherto,

Aubrey had had no opportunity of

studying Lord Ruthven's character, and

now

he found, that, though many more of his actions

were exposed

to his view, the results offered

from the apparent mo-

different conclusions tives to

His companion was

his conduct.

profuse in his liberality

the idle, the vaga-

;

bond, and the beggar, received from his hand

more than enough

to relieve their

immediate

wants.

But Aubrey could not avoid remark-

ing, that

it

was not upon

by the misfortunes attendant even

to indigence

upon

the virtuous, reduced

virtue,

that he bestowed his alms;

these .were sent from the door with hardly sup-

pressed sneers

;

but

when

the profligate

came

to ask something, not to relieve his wants, but

to allow

him

still

him

to

wallow in his

lust,

or to sink

deeper in his iniquity, he was sent

away with

rich charity.

attributed by

him

This was, however,

to the greater importunity of

THE VAMPYKE.

34

the vicious, which generally prevails over the retiring bashfulness of the virtuous indigent.

There was one circumstance about the charity of his Lordship, which was pressed upon his mind it

was bestowed,

was a curse upon

all

:

still

more im-

those upon

whom

inevitably found that there it,

were

for they

either

all

led to the scaffold, or sunk to the lowest and

the most abject misery.

At

Brussels and other

towns through which they passed, Aubrey was surprized at

the

apparent

which his companion sought all

fashionable vice

;

with

eagerness

for the centres of

there he entered into

the spirit of the faro table

:

all

he betted, and

always gambled with success, except where the

known

sharper

was

his antagonist,

then he lost even more than he gained

was always with

;

and

but

it

same unchanging face, with which he generally watched the society around

:

it

was

the

not, however,

when he

so

encountered the rash youthful novice, or the luckless father of a

numerous family

very wish'seemed fortune's law abstractedness of mind

was laid

this

then his

;

apparent

aside,

and

his

THE VAMPYRE. eyes sparkled with more

fire

35

than that of the

cat whilst dallying with the half-dead mouse.

In every town, he

left

the formerly affluent

youth, torn from the circle he adorned, cursing, in the solitude of a

drawn him within whilst

many

dungeon, the

fate that

had

the reach of this fiend

;

a father sat frantic, amidst the

speaking looks of mute hungry children, with-

immense

out a single farthing of his late wealth, wherewith to

buy even

Yet he took no

satisfy their present craving.

money from mediately gilder he

the gambling

lost, to

was

table

;

but im-

the ruiner of many, the last

had just snatched from the convulsive

grasp of the innocent result of

sufficient to

:

this

might but be the

a certain degree of knowledge, which

not, however, capable of

combating the

cunning of the more experienced.

Aubrey

often wished to represent this to his friend,

and beg him to resign that charity and pleasure which proved the ruin of all, and did not tend to his

own profit

;

but he delayed

it

for

each

day he hoped his friend would give him some opportunity of speaking frankly and openly

c 2

36

THE VAMPYRE.

him

to

;

however, this never occurred.

Ruthven

in

his

Lord

and amidst the

carriage,

various wild and rich scenes of nature,

always the same

:

was

his eye spoke less than his

and though Aubrey was near the object of his curiosity, he obtained no greater gralip

;

tification

from

it

than the constant excitement

of vainly wishing to break that mystery, which to his exalted imagination

began to assume

the appearance of something supernatural.

They soon

arrived at

Rome, and Aubrey

a time lost sight of his companion in daily attendance

an

he

;

upon the morning

Italian countess, whilst

left

for

him

circle of

he went in search of

the memorials of another almost deserted city.

Whilst he was thus engaged,

letters arrived

from England, which he opened with eager impatience

;

the

first

was from

breathing nothing but affection

were from

him

;

if it

;

the others

his guardians, the latter astonished

had before entered

tion that there his

his sister,

was an

companion,

liuost sufficient

these

evil

into his imagina-

power resident

seemed

reason for the

in

to give

him

belief.

His

THE VAMPYRE.

37

guardians insisted upon his immediately leaving his friend, and urged, that his character

was

dreadfully vicious, for that the possession

of irresistible powers of seduction, rendered his licentious habits It

more dangerous

had been discovered,

her character

enhance his

that his contempt for

had not originated

the adultress

;

to society.

in hatred of

but that he had required, to

gratification, that his victim, the

partner of his guilt, should be hurled from the

pinnacle

of unsullied

down

virtue,

to the

lowest abyss of infamy and degradation fine,

that

all

those females

whom

:

in

he had

sought, apparently on account of their virtue,

had,

since his departure, thrown even the

mask

aside,

and had not scrupled

to expose

the whole deformity of their vicjes to the public

gaze.

Aubrey determined upon leaving one, whose character had not yet shown a single bright point on which to rest the eye. to invent

some

He resolved

plausible pretext for

abandon-

ing him altogether, purposing, in the while, to

watch him

more

cjosely,

mean

and

to

THE VAMPYRE.

38 let

no

slight

noticed.

He

circumstances entered

pass

same

into the

and soon perceived, that

by uncircle,

his Lordship

was

endeavouring to work upon the inexperience of the daughter of the lady whose house he In Italy,

chiefly frequented.

an

that

society

;

unmarried female

in all his

would most

met with

in

windings, and soon discovered

had been appointed, which

likely

end

in the

nocent, though thoughtless

he

seldom

but Aubrey's eye followed

;

that an assignation

time,

is

is

he was therefore obliged to carry on

his plans in secret

him

it

entered

the

ruin of an ingirl.

Losing no

apartment

of Lord

Ruthven, and abruptly asked him his intentions with respect to the lady, informing at the

same time

being about

to

was aware of

that he

him his

meet her that very night.

Lord Ruthven answered, were such as he supposed such an occasion

;

that his intentions all

would have upon

and upon being pressed

whether he intended to marry her, merely laughed.

Aubrey

retired

;

and, immediately

writing a note, to say, that from that

moment

THE VAMPYRE.

39

he must decline accompanying his Lordship remainder of their proposed tour, he

in the

ordered his servant to seek other apartments,

and

calling

upon the mother of the

lady,

informed her of. all he knew, not only with regard to her daughter, but also concerning the character of his Lordship. tion

was prevented.

The

assigna-

Lord Ruthven next day

merely sent his servant to notify his complete assent to a separation

;

but did not hint any

suspicion of his plans having been foiled

by

Aubrey's interposition.

Having

left

Rome, Aubrey

steps towards Greece,

directed his

and crossing the Pe-

He

ninsula, soon found himself at Athens.

then

fixed his residence Jn the house of a

Greek

;

and soon occupied himself

the faded records of ancient glory

in tracing

upon monu-

ments that apparently, ashamed of chronicling the deeds of freemen only before slaves, had

hidden themselves beneath the sheltering or

many

coloured lichen.

Under

the

soil

same

roof as himself, existed a being, so beautiful

and

delicate, that she

might have formed the

40

THE VAMPYRE.

model

for

a painter, wishing to pourtray on

canvass the promised hope of the faithful in

Mahomet's paradise, save that her eyes spoke too

much mind

belong to those

for

any one

to think she

who had no

danced upon the

could

As

souls.

she

plain, or tripped along the

mountain's side, one would have thought the gazelle a poor type of her beauties

would have exchanged her

;

for

who

eye, apparently

the eye of animated nature, for that sleepy

luxurious look of the animal suited but to

The

the taste of an epicure.

lanthe

often

light step

accompanied Aubrey

in

of his

search after antiquities, and often would the

unconscious

girl,

a Kashmere

butterfly,

engaged

of her form, floating as

in the pursuit of

show the whole beauty it were upon the wind,

to the eager gaze of him,

who forgot

the letters

he had just decyphered upon an almost effaced tablet, in the

figure. flitted

contemplation of her sylph-like

Often would her tresses

she

around, exhibit in the sun's ray such

delicately brilliant

as

falling, as

and

swiftly fading hues,

might well excuse the forgetfulness of the

THE VAMPYRE.

who

antiquary,

let

41

escape from his mind the

very object he had before thought of vital im-

proper interpretation of a

the

to

portance

But why attempt

passage in Pausanias. describe charms which

appreciate

?

but none can

all feel,

was innocence,

It

to

youth, and

beauty, unaffected by crowded drawing-rooms

and

Whilst he drew those re-

stifling balls.

mains of which he wished

me-

to preserve a

morial for his future hours, she would stand by,

and watch the magic

pencil, in tracing the

place

;

scenes

of her native

she would then describe to

dance upon the open

circling

paint to

him

youthful

memory,

remembered viewing

plain,

marriage

would

him

her nurse. belief

Her

of what

interest even of told

him the

all

;

she

and

had evidently

greater impression upon tell

the

would

pomp

her infancy

in

then, turning to subjects that

made a

him

glowing colours of

in all the

the

of his

effects

her

mind,

the supernatural tales of

earnestness and apparent

she

narrated,

Aubrey

;

excited

the

and often as she

tale of the living

vampyrc, who

THE VAMPYRE.

42

had passed years dearest

his friends,

and

forced every year, by feeding

ties,

upon the

amidst

of a lovely female to prolong

life

his existence

for

the

ensuing months, his

blood would run cold, whilst he attempted to

laugh

her

fantasies

;

names of

out of such

but

lanthe

idle

cited

men, who had

old

and to

horrible

him

the

at last detected

one living among themselves,

after several

of their near relatives and children had been

found marked with the stamp of the appetite;

and when she found him so

credulous, she for

it

begged of him

had been

had dared

fiend's

remarked,

in-

to believe her,

that those

to question their existence,

who

always

had some proof given, which obliged them, with grief and heartbreaking, to confess it

was

true.

She detailed

to

him

the traditional

appearance of these monsters, and his horror

was

increased,

description of still

by hearing a pretty accurate Lord Ruthven

;

he, however,

persisted in persuading her, that there

could be no truth in her fears, though at the

same time he wondered

at the

many

coinci-

43

THE VAMPYRE. which had

dences

in

belief

the

tended to excite

all

a

power of Lord

supernatural

Ruthven.

Aubrey began to attach himself more and more to lanthe her innocence, so contrasted ;

with

all

women

the affected virtues of the

among whom he had sought for his vision of romance, won his heart and while he ridi;

culed the idea of a young

of English

marrying an uneducated Greek

habits, still

man

almost

to the

forming a plan

form before him.

fairy

would tear himself for

at times

until his object

some antiquarian

found

it

was

attained

research,

not to return

but he always

;

fix his

impossible to

attention

the ruins around him, whilst in his

retained

an image that

rightful possessor of

was unconscious of same frank

known.

lanthe

being he had

She always seemed ;

mind he

and was ever

his love,

him with reluctance

upon

seemed alone the

his thoughts.

infantile

He

from her, and,

he would depart, determined

the

girl,

he found himself more and more attached

but

it

to part

first

from

was because

44

THE VAMPYRE.

she had no longer any one with

whom

she

could visit her favourite haunts, whilst her

guardian was occupied in sketching or un-

some

covering

which had

fragment

yet

escaped the destructive hand of time.

had appealed

She

on the subject of

to her parents

Vampyres, and they Jt>oth, with several present, affirmed their existence, pale with horror at the very name.

mined

to proceed

which was

when all

Soon

after,

Aubrey deter-

upon one of

his excursions,

to detain

they heard the

at once

him

name

for

a few hours

of the place, they

begged of him not

night, as he

;

to return at

must necessarily pass through a

wood, where no Greek would ever remain, after the tion.

day had

They described

vampyres

upon any considera-

closed, it

in their nocturnal

nounced the most heavy

upon him who dared

Aubrey made and

as the resort of the orgies,

evils as

to cross

their

them out of the idea

when he saw them shudder mock a

impending path.

light of their representations,

tried to laugh

thus to

and de-

;

but

at his daring

superior, infernal power, the

THE VAMPYRE.

45

name of which apparently made blood freeze, he was silent.

Very

Next morning Aubrey excursion unattended

set

off

their

upon

his

he was surprised to

;

observe the melancholy face of his host, and

was concerned

to find that his

words, mocking

the belief of those horrible fiends,

them with such

When

terror.

to depart, lanthe

came

had inspired

he was about

to the side of his horse,

and earnestly begged of him

to return, ere

night allowed the power of these beings to

be put in action

;

He

he promised.

was,

however, so occupied in his research, that he did not perceive that day-light would soon end, and that in the horizon there those specks which, in the

was one of

warmer

climates,

so rapidly gather into a tremendous mass, and

pour

all

He

their rage

at last,

upon the devoted country.

however, mounted his horse,

determined to make up by speed but it was too

late.

climates, is almost

sun

sets,

vanced

the

:

in these southern Twilight, O '

unknown

night begins

far,

for his delay

:

power of

;

and

immediately the ere he

the storm

had ad-

was above

46

THE VAMPYRE. its

echoing thunders had scarcely an interval

of rest

its

thick heavy rain forced

through the canopying

way

foliage, whilst the blue

forked lightning seemed to his very feet.

its

Suddenly

fall

and radiate

at

his horse took fright,

and he was carried with dreadful rapidity through the entangled last,

The animal

forest.

at

through fatigue, stopped, and he found,

by the

glare of lightning, that he

w as

in the

r

neighbourhood of a hovel that hardly itself

lifted

up from the masses of dead leaves and

brushwood which surrounded ing, he approached, to guide

him

to the

to obtain shelter

Dismount-

it.

hoping to find some one town, or at least trusting

from the pelting of the storm.

As he

approached, the thunders, for a

silent,

allowed him to hear the dreadful shrieks

of a

woman

mingling with the

stifled,

mockery of a laugh, continued unbroken

sound

;

he

was

in

over his head, he, with a sudden

in utter darkness

:

He

exultant

one almost

startled

-roused by the thunder which

open the door of the hut.

moment

:

but,

again

rolled

effort,

forced

found himself

the sound, however, guided

THE VAMPYRE.

He was

him.

though he

47

apparently unperceived

for,

;

sounds continued,

called, still the

He found contact with some one, whom he im-

and no notice was taken of him. himself in

mediately seized; baffled

he

felt

!"

to

when a voice

;

himself grappled by one whose strength :

determined to

as dearly as he could, he struggled

was

Again

which a loud laugh succeeded and

seemed superhuman life

" cried,

in vain

:

he was

lifted

from his

sell

;

his

but

feet

it

and

hurled with enormous force against the ground : his

enemy threw himself upon him, and

kneeling upon his breast, had placed his hands

upon

his throat

when

the glare of

many

torches penetrating through the hole that gave light in the day, disturbed

him

rose, and, leaving his prey,

door,

and

in

a

moment

;

he instantly

rushed through the

the crashing of the

branches, as he broke through the wood,

no longer heard.

The storm was now

was

still

;

and Aubrey, incapable of moving, was soon heard by those without. light of their torches

fell

They entered upon the

;

the

mud walls,

and the thatch loaded on every individual straw

48

THE VAMPYRE.

with heavy flakes of

Aubrey they searched tracted

him by her

darkness

;

At

soot.

for her

cries

the desire of

who had

he was again

;

at-

left in

but what was his horror, when the

light of the torches

once more burst upon him,

to perceive the airy

form of his

brought in a

hoping that

lifeless corse.

it

fair

He

was but a vision

disturbed imagination

conductress

shut his eyes,

arising from his

but he again saw the

;

same form, when he unclosed them, stretched by

There was no colour upon her

his side.

cheek, not even upon her lip stillness

;

yet there

was a

about her face that seomed almost as

attaching as the

life

that once dwelt there

:

upon her neck and breast was blood, and upon her throat were the marks of teeth havingopened the vein

:

to this the

men

pointed, crying,

" simultaneously struck with horror, pyre!

aVampyre!"

and Aubrey was had

lately

been

A litter was quickly formed,

laid

to

life

that

knew not what

side of her

by the

him

the object of so

bright and fairy visions, flower of

A Vam-

now

fallen

had died within

his thoughts

were

who

many

with the her. his

He mind

THE VAMPYRE.

was benumbed and seemed and take refuge

in

to

vacancy

49 shun

reflection,

he held almost

unconsciously in his hand a naked dagger of

a particular construction, which had been

They were soon met by

found in the hut. different

parties

who had been engaged

the search of her

whom

Their lamentable

cries, as

city,

in

a mother had missed. they approached the

forewarned the parents of some dreadful

To

catastrophe.

be impossible

;

describe their grief would

but when they ascertained the

cause of their child's death, they looked at

Aubrey, and pointed to the corse. inconsolable

;

They were

both died broken-hearted.

Aubrey being put

to

bed was seized with

a most violent fever, and in these intervals he

was

would

Ruthven and upon lanthe

often delirious call

;

upon Lord

by some unac-

countable combination he seemed to beg of his

former companion to spare the being he loved.

At other times he would imprecate maledictions upon 'his head, and curse him as her

Lord Ruthven chanced

destroyer.

at this time to arrive

at Athens, and, from whatever motive,

D

upon

50

THE VAMPYRE.

hearing of the state of Aubrey, immediately placed himself in the same house, and became his

constant

attendant.

When

the

latter

recovered from his delirium, he was horrified

and

startled at the sight of

he had

him whose image

now combined with that of a Vampyre

;

but Lord Ruthven, by his kind words, implying almost repentance for the fault that had caused their separation,

and

still

and care which he showed, soon

anxiety,

him

reconciled

to his presence.

seemed quite changed that apathetic being

Aubrey began

more by the attention,

;

to

into the

His lordship

he no longer appeared

;

who had

so astonished

but as soon as his convalescence

be rapid, he again gradually retired

same

state

of mind, and Aubrey

perceived no difference from the former man,

except that at times he his gaze fixed intently

was

surprised to meet

upon him, with a smile

of malicious exultation playing

he knew not why, but

During the

upon

this smile

his lips

:

haunted him.

last stage of the invalid's recovery,

Lord Ruthven was apparently engaged watching the

tideless

in

waves raised by the

THE VAMPYRE.

51

cooling breeze, or in marking the progress

of those orbs, circling, moveless sun

like

our world, the

indeed, he appeared to wish

;

to avoid the eyes of

all.

much

Aubrey's mind, by this shock, was

weakened, and that

elasticity of spirit

which

had once so distinguished him now seemed have

lover of solitude

but

He was now

fled for ever.

much

and

silence as

find

Athens

he sought

if

it

his side

light step

Lord Ruthven

if

;

mind

the neighbourhood of

in

it

amidst the ruins he

had formerly frequented, by

much a

as he wished for solitude, his

could not ;

as

to

he sought

lanthe's form stood it

woods, her

in the

would appear wandering amidst the

underwood,

in quest of the

modest violet

;

the

suddenly turning round, would show, to his wild imagination, her pale face and wounded throat, with

a meek smile upon her

determined to

fly

lips.

scenes, every feature of

He

which

created such bitter associations in his mind.

He

proposed to Lord Ruthven, to

whom

he

held himself bound by the tender care he had

taken of him during his

illness, that

D 2

they should

THE VAMPYRE,

52

of Greece neither had yet

visit those parts

seen.

They

travelled in every direction,

and

sought every spot to which a recollection could

be attached

from place

:

but though they thus hastened

to place, yet they

heed what they gazed upon.

seemed not

to

They heard much

of robbers, but they gradually began to slight these reports, which they imagined were only

the invention of individuals, whose interest

was

to excite the generosity of those

it

whom

they defended from pretended dangers.

In

consequence of thus neglecting the advice of the inhabitants, on one occasion they travelled

with only a few guards, more to serve as guides than as a defence.

however, a narrow

defile,

which was the bed of a

Upon at the

torrent,

entering,

bottom of with large

masses of rock brought down from the neighbouring precipices, they had reason to repent their negligence

;

for scarcely

were the whole

of the party engaged in the narrow pass,

when

they were startled by the whistling of bullets close to their heads,

of several guns.

and by the echoed report

In an instant their guards

THE V AM PYRE. had

left

rocks,

53

them, and, placing themselves behind

had begun

to fire in the direction

whence

Lord Ruthven and Aubrey,

the report came.

imitating their example, retired for a

behind the sheltering turn of the

moment :

but

foe,

who

defile

ashamed of being thus detained by a

with insulting shouts bade them advance, and being exposed to unresisting slaughter,

any

and take

of the robbers should climb above

them

if

in the rear, they determined at once to

rush forward in search of the enemy.

had they lost the

shelter of the rock,

Ruthven received a shot

contest or his

seeing

;

own

when Lord

in the shoulder,

brought him to the ground. to his assistance

Hardly

which

Aubrey hastened

and, no longer heeding the peril,

was soon

surprised

by

him

his

the robbers' faces around

guards having, upon Lord Ruthven's being

wounded, immediately thrown up

their

arms

and surrendered.

By

promises of great reward, Aubrey soon

induced them to convey his wounded friend to a neighbouring cabin

;

and having agreed

upon a ransom, he was no more disturbed by

04

THE VAMPYRE. they being content merely to

their presence

guard the entrance

till

comrade should

their

return with the promised sum, for which he

had an

Lord Ruthven's strength rapidly in two days mortification ensued,

order.

decreased

;

and death seemed advancing with hasty steps. His conduct and appearance had not changed ; he seemed as unconscious of pain as he had been of the objects about him

but towards

:

mind became

the close of the last evening, his

apparently uneasy, and his eye often fixed upon

Aubrey, who was induced to

offer his assistance

" Assist

with more than usual earnestness

me

!

you may save

me

mean

not

you may do more

my

than that

I

death of

existence as

my

passing day

;

but you

your friend's honour." I

would do any thing,"

need but

little

my life

explain the whole all

but

you know of me,

stain in the world's

were unknown

for

as that of the

little

may "

heed the

I

life,

save

How ?

my honour, tell me how 1 "

replied Aubrey.

ebbs apace if

cannot

you would conceal

my honour mouth

I

I

were

and

some time

in

if

free

my

from

death

England

I

55

THE VAMPYRE. but life.""

I

" Swear

!"

It shall

cried the dying

not be known."

man, raising himself

with exultant violence, " Swear by soul reveres, that for a year

and a day you

impart

any way, whatever may happen,

or whatever you

bursting

will not

my crimes or death to any

your knowledge of living being in

your

your nature fears, swear

all

by

all

may

see."

His eyes seemed

from their sockets

:

"I swear

Aubrey ; he sunk laughing upon pillow, and breathed no more.

said

Aubrey retired to

many

rest,

!"

his

but did not sleep ; the

circumstances attending his acquaint-

ance with this

man

knew not why

;

rose

upon

his mind,

and he

when he remembered

oath a cold shivering

his

came over him, as

if

from the presentiment of something horrible awaiting him.

Rising early in the morning,

he was about to enter the hovel in which he

had

when a robber met him, and informed him that it was no longer there, left

the corpse,

having been conveyed by himself and comrades,

upon

his retiring, to the pinnacle of

a

neighbouring mount, accordin^to a promise

56

THE VAMPYRE.

they had given his lordship, that

exposed to the

first

it

cold ray of the

rose after his death.

should be

moon

that

Aubrey astonished, and

taking several of the men, determined to go

upon the spot where it lay. But, when he had mounted to the summit he found

and bury

it

no trace of

either the corpse or the clothes,

though the robbers swore they pointed out the identical rock

body.

on which they had

laid the

For a time his mind was bewildered in

conjectures-,

that they

but he at

last returned,

had buried the corpse

convinced

for the sake of

the clothes.

Weary

of a country in which he had met

with such all

and

terrible misfortunes,

apparently

conspired

to

superstitious melancholy that

at

Smyrna.

which

heighten that

had seized upon

his mind, he resolved to leave

arrived

in

it,

and soon

While waiting

for

a

him

to Otranto, or to Naples,

he occupied himself

in arranging those effects

vessel to convey

he had with him belonging to Lord Ruthven.

Amongst

other things there

was a case con-

taining severaj weapons of offence, more or

57

THE VAMPYRE. less

adapted to ensure the death of the victim.

and ataghans.

There were several daggers Whilst turning

them

and examining

over,

what was

their curious forms,

his surprise at

finding a sheath apparently ornamented in the

same fatal

style as the

dagger discovered in the

he shuddered

hut

hastening

-to

gain

further proof, he found the weapon, and his

horror

may be imagined when he

that

fitted,

it

though peculiarly shaped, the

His eyes seemed

sheath he held in his hand. to

discovered

need no further certainty

they seemed

gazing to be bound to the dagger

he wished to disbelieve

;

;

yet

still

but the particular

form, the same varying tints upon the haft and

sheath were alike in splendour on both, and left

no room

for

doubt

;

there

were

also drops of

blood on each.

He Rome,

left

Smyrna, and on

his first inquiries

his

way home,

at

were concerning the

lady he had attempted to snatch from Lord

Ruthven's seductive in distress,

arts.

Her parents were

their fortune ruined,

and she had

not been heard of since the departure of his

58

THE VAMPYRE,

broken under so

was

mind

Aubrey's

lordship.

many

afraid that this lady

repeated horrors

had

in

silent

;

and

fallen

dear.

his only occupation consisted

to save the

He arrived at

seemed obedient

his

lose, in the all

now was

there,

to the for

a

of the past.

caresses,

that

still

him to

embraces and

memory

by her infantine

to appear, she

he

a breeze, which

and

fathers,

gained his affection,

began

;

and he hastened

caresses of his sister,

if

of some one he held

Calais

;

moment, appeared to

If she before,

life

to his will, soon wafted

the English shores

mansion of

he

morose

urging the speed of the postilions, as

were going

;

a victim to

He became

the destroyer of lanthe.

and

became almost

the

had

woman

more attaching

as a companion.

Miss Aubrey had not that winning grace

which gains the gaze and applause of the drawing-room assemblies. There was none of that light brilliancy which only exists in the

heated atmosphere of a crowded apartment.

Her blue eye was never lit up by the levity of the mind beneath. There was a melancholy

59

THE VAMPYRE.

charm about

which did not seem to arise from

it

some feeling within,

misfortune, but from

that

appeared to indicate a soul conscious of a

Her

brighter realm. footing,

was not

which strays where'er a

colour may attract

When

step

it

;

butterfly or

was sedate and

alone, her face

by the smile of joy

that light

a

pensive.

was never brightened but when her brother

breathed to her his affection, and would in her presence forget those griefs she knew destroyed his rest,

who would have exchanged

for that of the voluptuary ?

that face

those eyes, light of their

own

only eighteen, the world,

It

her smile

seemed as

were then playing

native sphere.

in the

She was yet

and had not been presented

it

guardians more

if

to

having been thought by her fit

that her presentation should

be delayed until her brother's return from the continent, It

when he might be her

was now,

protector.

therefore, resolved that the next

drawing-room, which was

fast

approaching,

should be the epoch of her entry into the "

busy scene."

remained

in the

Aubrey would rather have mansion of his

fathers,

and

THE VAMPYRE.

60 fed

upon the melancholy which overpowered

He

him.

could not feel interest about the

frivolities of fashionable strangers,

mind had been witnessed

own

;

so torn

when

by the events he had

but he determined to sacrifice his

comfort to the protection of his

They soon

his

arrived in town,

sister.

and prepared

for

the next day, which had been announced as a

drawing-room.

The crowd was excessive had not been held were anxious

to

for

Aubrey was

While he was standing

sister.

himself, heedless of

all

all

who

there with his in a corner

around him, engaged

remembrance that the

seen Lord Ruthven felt

a long time, and

bask in the smile of royalty,

hastened thither.

the

a drawing-room

first

by in

time he had

was in that very place

he

himself suddenly seized by the arm, and a

voice he recognized too well, sounded in his .ear

"

Remember your oath." He had hardly

courage to turn, fearful of seeing a spectre that

would

at a

little

blast

him,

distance, the

had attracted

his

when he same

perceived,

figure

which

notice on this spot upon

61

THE VAMPYRE. his first entry into

He

society.

gazed

till

his limbs almost refusing to bear their weight,

he was obliged to take the arm of a friend,

and forcing a passage through the crowd, he threw himself into his carriage, and was driven

He

home.

paced the room

with

hurried steps, and fixed his hands upon his

head, as

if

bursting

he were afraid his thoughts were

from

his brain.

Lord Ruthven

again before him

circumstances started up

in dreadful array

the dagger

He

roused himself,

possible

his

mind was

sible that

He

!

resting upon.

It

to ask

in

was impos-

;

for

though

concerning Lord Ruthven,

name hung upon

not succeed

thought

he determined,

go again into society

he attempted

it

had conjured up the image

could be real

it

therefore, to

the

he could not believe

the dead rise again

his imagination

his oath.

his lips,

and he could

gaining information.

went a few nights

after

assembly of a near

with his

relation.

He

sister to the

Leaving her

under the protection of a matron, he retired into a recess,

and there gave himself up

to his

b2

THE VAMPYRE.

own devouring

thoughts.

that many

Perceiving, at

last,

were leaving, he roused himself, and

entering another room, found his sister sur-

rounded

by

conversation

near her,

move,

apparently in earnest

several, ;

he attempted to pass and get

when

whom

one,

he requested to

turned round, and revealed to him

those features he most abhorred.

forward,

He

sprang

seized his sister's arm, and, with

hurried step, forced her towards the street

:

at

the door he found himself impeded by the crowd

of servants

who were

waiting for their lords

and while he was engaged

;

in passing them, he

again heard that voice whisper close to him

"Remember

your oath!"

He

did not dare

to turn, but, hurrying his sister, soon reached

home.

Aubrey became almost

mind had been absorbed by one sub-

fore his ject,

If be-

distracted.

how much more

grossed,

now

ster's living

was

that the certainty of the

it

en-

mon-

again pressed upon his thoughts.

His

sister's attentions

and

it

was

completely

were now unheeded,

in vain that she intreated

him

to

THE VAMPYRE.

63

explain to her what had caused his abrupt

He only uttered

conduct.

The more he

those terrified her.

more he was bewildered.

him

was he then

;

a few words, and thought, the

His oath

startled

to allow this monster to

roam, bearing ruin upon his breath, amidst he held dear, and not avert

its

all

His

progress ?

very sister might have been touched by him.

But even

if

He

hand

who would

his suspicions,

disclose

him ?

he were to break his oath, and believe

thought of employing his

to free the

own

world from such a wretch

;

but death, he remembered, had been already

mocked.

For days he remained in

this state

;

shut up in his roonr,he saw no one, and eat only

when his sister came, who, with eyes streaming with tears, besought him, port nature.

At

last,

for her sake, to

sup-

no longer capable of

bearing stillness and solitude, he left his house,

roamed from that

street to street, anxious to fly

image which haunted him.

His dress

became neglected, and he wandered*, as

often

exposed to the noon-day sun as to the midnight

damps.

He was

no longer

to

be

64

THE VAMPYRE.

recognized

at first he returned

;

evening to the house

down His

to rest

the

he laid him

last

wherever fatigue overtook him.

anxious for his safety, employed

sister,

people to follow

tanced

but at

;

with

him

;

but they were soon dis-

by him who

swifter than

any

duct, however,

from a pursuer

fled

from thought.

His con-

suddenly changed.

with the idea that he

left

Struck

his absence the

by

whole of his friends, with a fiend amongst them, of whose presence they were unconscious, he

determined

to enter again

and watch him

society,

anxious to

closely,

forewarn, in spite of his oath,

all

whom Lord

Ruthven approached with intimacy.

when he

into

But

entered into a room, his haggard

and suspicious looks were so

striking, his

inward shudderings so

visible, that his sister

was

beg of him

at last obliged to

from seeking, affected

him

for her sake,

so strongly.

to abstain

a society which

When, however,

remonstrance proved unavailing, the guardians thought proper to interpose, and, fearing that his

mind was becoming

alienated, they

THE VAMPYELE.

trust

high time to resume again that

it

thought

65

which had been before imposed upon

them by Aubrey's parents. Desirous of saving him from the injuries

and sufferings he had daily encountered in his wanderings, and of preventing him from exposing to the general eye those marks of

what they considered

He

constant care of him. to notice

it,

and take

the house,

to reside in

physician

they engaged a

folly,

so completely

hardly appeared

was

his

mind abHis inco-

sorbed by one terrible subject.

herence became at last so great, that he was confined to his chamber.

There he would

often lie for days, incapable of being roused.

He had become

emaciated,

attained a glassy lustre affection itself

and

recollection

upon the entry of

;

his eyes

had

the only sign of

remaining displayed his sister

;

then he

would sometimes start, and, seizing her hands, with looks that severely

affliced her,

desire her not to touch him.

touch him not

if

your love for

go near him

!"

"

me

he would

Oh, do not is

aught, do

When, however,

she

66

THE VAMPYRE.

whom he

inquired to "

True

was,

a

true

!

!

referred, his only

and again he sank

This lasted many months

however, as the year

was

:

gradually,

passing, his inco-

mind

herences became less frequent, and his

threw

into

whence not even she could rouse

state,

him.

answer

off

a portion of

its

gloom, whilst his

guardians observed, that several times in the

day he would count upon

his fingers

a definite

number, and then smile.

The time had

nearly elapsed, when, upon

the last day of the year, one of his guardians

entering his room, began to converse with his

physician upon the melancholy circumstance of Aubrey's being in so awful a situation,

when

his

sister

married.

they

to

Instantly Aubrey's attention

attracted

of this

was going next day

;

he asked anxiously to whom.

mark of returning

feared

he

intellect, of

had been

deprived,

be

was Glad

which they

mentioned the name of the Earl of Marsden.

was a young Earl whom he

Thinking

this

had met

with in

pleased,

society,

Aubrey seemed

and astonished them

still

more by

THE VAMPYRE.

67

his expressing his intention to be present at

and desiring to see his sister. They answered not, but in a few minutes his He was apparently sister was with him. the nuptials,

again capable of being affected by the influence of

her lovely smile

his breast, tears,

being; O

he pressed her to

for

;

and kissed her cheek, wet with

flowing at the thought of her brother's

once more alive

He

affection.

began

to

the

feeling's D

of

to speak with all his

wonted warmth, and

to

congratulate

upon her marriage with a person so

her

distin-

guished for rank and every accomplishment

;

when he suddenly

perceived a locket upon

her breast

it,

;

opening

what was

his surprise

at beholding the features of the monster

had so long influenced the

portrait

trampled

it

in

his

life

He

who

seized

a paroxysm of rage, and

under

foot.

Upon

him why he thus destroyed

her asking

the resemblance

of her future husband, he looked as

not understand her

if

he did

then seizing her hands,

and gazing on her with a frantic expression of countenance, he bade her swear that she would

E2

THE VAMPYRE.

68.

never wed this monster, for he not advance

it

seemed as

But he could

if that

bade him remember his oath denly

round,

the guardians

he turned sud-

Ruthven was

thinking Lord

near him but saw no one.

voice again

In the

meantime

and physician, who had heard

the whole, and thought this his disorder, entered,

was but a

return of

and forcing him from

Miss Aubrey, desired her to leave him. fell

upon

his knees to them,

begged of them They,

He

he implored, he

to delay but for

one day.

attributing this to the insanity they

imagined had taken possession of his mind, endeavoured to pacify him, and

Lord Ruthven had the drawing-room,

every one ill

health,

retired.

called the

morning

and had been refused with

When he heard

else.

after

of Aubrey's

he readily understood himself to be

the cause of

it

;

but when he learned that he

was deemed

insane, his exultation

sure could

hardly be concealed from those

among whom he had gained

He hastened

to the

and plea-

this information.

house of his former com-

panion, and, by constant attendance, and the

THE VAMPYRE.

6

pretence of great affection for the brother and interest in his fate, he gradually

Who

Miss Aubrey.

of

won

could resist

His tongue had dangers

power? to recount

individual

the ear his

arid toils

could speak of himself as of an

having

no sympathy with any

being on the crowded earth, save with her to

whom

he addressed himself

knew

since he to

could

;

her, his existence

seem worthy of preservation,

tell

how,

had begun were

if it

merely that he might listen to her soothing accents

in fine, he

;

use the serpent's fate, that

art,

knew

how

so well

or such

was

he gained her affections.

the

to

wiD of

The

title

of the elder branch falling at length to him, he

obtained an important embassy, which served as an excuse for hastening the marriage, (in spite of her brother's

was

deranged

to take place the very

state,)

day before

which

his de-

parture for the continent.

Aubrey, when he was

and

left

by the physician

his guardians, attempted to bribe the ser-

vants, but in vain.

paper

;

it

He

was given him

asked for pen and ;

he wrote a

letter

70

THE VAMPYRE.

to his sister, conjuring her, as she valued her

own

happiness,

her

own

and the

honour,

honour of those now in the grave, who once held her in their arms as their hope and the

hope of

their house, to delay but for a

few

hours that marriage, on which he denounced

The

the most heavy curses.

mised they would deliver the physician, he

but giving

;

it

thought

harass any more the by,

it

servants proit

to

not to

better

mind of Miss Aubrey

what he considered, the ravings of a

maniac.

Night passed on without

busy inmates of the house with a horror that ceived

than

preparation.

and Aubrey heard,

may more the

described,

easily

be con-

notes

of

busy

Morning came, and the sound

of carriages broke

grew almost

;

rest to the

upon

frantic.

his

The

ear.

Aubrey

curiosity of the

servants at last overcame their vigilance, they

gradually stole away, leaving

him

tody of an helpless old woman. the opportunity, with one the room,

and

in

in the cus-

He

seized

bound was out of

a moment found himself in

the apartment where

all

were nearly assembled.

THE VAMPYRE. Lord Ruthven was the

first

71

him

to perceive

:

he immediately approached, and, taking his

arm by

him from

force, hurried

When

speechless with rage.

Lord Ruthven whispered

in

member your oath, and know,

the room,

on the staircase, " Rehis ear if

not

my bride

Women

to day, your sister is dishonoured.

are

frail !"

So saying, he pushed him towards

his attendants,

had come

who, roused by the old woman,

in search of him.

Aubrey could

no longer support himself; his rage not finding vent, had broken a blood-vessel, and he was

mentioned to his

when he

This was not

who was

sister,

not present

entered, as the physician

of agitating her. ized,

bed.

to

conveyed

was

afraid

The marriage was solemn-

and the bride and bridegroom

left

London. Aubrey's weakness increased of blood produced

proach

of death.

guardians might

;

the effusion

symptoms of the near ap-

He be

desired

called,

his

sister's

and when the

midnight hour had struck, he related com-

p*

& P'

-:

72

THE V AM PYRE.

what

posedly

the

died immediately

reader has perused

he

after.

The guardians hastened to protect Miss Aubrey but when they arrived, it was too ;

late.

Lord Ruthven had disappeared, and sister

Aubrey's

VAMPYRE

!

had glutted the

thirst of

a

EXTRACT OF A LETTER, CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OP

LORD BYRON'S RESIDENCE IN

THE

ISLAND OF MITYLENE.

ACCOUNT

LORD BYRON'S RESIDENCE,

"

The world was

all

rest,

IN

before him, where to choose his place of

and Providence

sailing through the

1'

his guide.

Grecian Archipelago,

on board one of his Majesty's year 1812,

we put

into the harbour of Mitylene,

in the island of that this place,

and the certain supply of

many British vessels

cattle

and

be had there, induce

to visit

war and merchantmen

;

both

it

and though

men it

of

lies

out of the track for ships bound to

Smyrna,

its

bounties amply repay for

deviation of a voyage. at the

The beauty of

name.

vegetables always to

rather

vessels, in the

We

the

landed, as usual,

bottom of the bay, and whilst the men

were employed

in watering,

and the purser

bargaining for cattle with the

natives, the

clergyman and myself took a ramble

to

the

76

THE VAMPYRE.

cave called Homer's School, and other places,

where we had been

Mount Ida (a

On

before.

brow of

the

named) we

small monticule so

met with and engaged a young Greek as our guide, who told us he had come from Scio with an English

lord,

who

left

the island four

days previous to our arrival in his felucca. " He engaged me as a pilot," said the Greek,

" and would have taken

me

with him

;

did not choose to quit Mitylene, where

He was

likely to get married.

The

very good man.

but

I

am

I

an odd, but a

cottage over the

hill,

facing the river, belongs to him, and he has left

an

old

man

in charge of

it

:

he gave

Dominick, the wine-trader, six hundred zechines, for

it,

(about 2501. English currency,)

and has resided there about fourteen months, though not constantly

;

for

he

sails

in his

felucca very often to the different islands."

This account excited our curiosity very

much, and we the house

We

lost

no time

in hastening to

where our countryman had

resided.

were kindly received by an old man,

who conducted

us

over

the mansion.

It

77

THE VAMPYRE.

consisted of four apartments on the groundfloor

an entrance

spacious

a drawing-room, a

and a bed-room,

parlour,

sitting

hall,

They were

annexed.

closet

simply decorated

with a all

plain green-stained walls,

:

marble tables on either

side,

a large myrtle

in

and a small fountain beneath,

the centre,

which could be made

to

play through the

branches by moving a spring fixed in the side of a small bronze

Venus

in

a leaning posture

;

a large couch or sofa completed the furniture. In the hall stood half a dozen English cane

and an empty book-case

chairs,

:

there were

The bed-

no mirrors, nor a single painting.

chamber had merely a large mattress spread on the floor, with two stufled cotton. quilt s and a pillow Greece.

In

the

common bed

the sitting-room

marble recess, formerly, the old filled

throughout

we

observed a

man

told us,

with books and papers, which were

then in a large seaman's chest in the closet it

was open, but we did not think

justified in

examining the contents.

:

ourselves

On the

tablet of the recess lay Voltaire's, Shakspeare's,

78

LORD BYRON'S RESIDENCE

IN

and Rousseau's works complete Volney's Ruins of Empires Zimmerman, in

J3oileau's,

;

;

the

German language

Kotzebue's novels Milton's

bers;

Schiller's play of the

;

Paradise

pamphlets

from

much

Constantinople,

filled

slips

Italian

several at

but no English

torn,

Most of these books

with marginal notes, written with

literally

with

;

The Messiah

scribbled

all

of paper, on

over,

and marked

which

also

were

remarks.

The

old

man

said

" :

reading these books

and forgot

sailed,

others

;

to

for

;

The

lord

had been

the evening before he

them with the

place

but," said he,

until his return

he

" there they must is

lie

so particular, that

move one thing without orders, he would frown upon me for a week together were

I to

;

he

is

otherways very good.

a service

;

;

Rob-

Greek press

a pencil, in Italian and Latin.

was

an

1810

in

the

book of any description.

were

Lost,

Parma

edition, printed at

small

Klopstock's Messiah

;

and

I

I

once did him

have the produce of this farm

for the trouble of

taking care of

it,

except

79

THE ISLAND OF MITYLENE. twenty zechines which

menian who resides wood, and Adrianople

whom ;

I

in

I

pay

to

an aged Ar-

a small cottage

in the

the lord brought here from

don't

know

for

what reason."

The appearance of the house externally was The portico in front was fifty pleasing. paces long and fourteen broad, and the fluted

marble

pillars

cornices,

(as

architecture,)

it

is

roof,

furnished,

as

fine

an awning of strong

Most of the house-tops are thus upon them the Greeks pass

their evenings

wines,

Grecian

surrounded by a light

carpet, beneath

coarse linen.

in

was covered by a

balustrade,

Turkey

now customary

were considerably higher than

The

the roof.

stone

with black plinths and fret-work

such as

in

"

smoking,

lachryma

drinking light christi,"

eating

fruit, and enjoying the evening breeze. On the left hand as we entered the house,

a small streamlet glided away, grapes, oranges and limes were clustering together on its

and under the shade of two large myrtle bushes, a marble seat with an orna-

borders,

mental wooden back was placed,

on which

THE VAMPYRE.

80

we were

told,

the lord passed

evenings and nights ing,

till

of his

many

twelve o'clock, read" I to himself.

and talking

writing,

suppose," said the old man,

"praying"

for

he

was very devout, and always attended our church twice a week, besides Sundays."

The view from

this seat

was what may be

termed " a bird's-eye view."

A

line of rich

Mount Calcla, covered

vineyards led the eye to

with olive and myrtle trees in bloom, and on the

summit of which an ancient Greek temple

appeared in majestic decay. issuingo

from the ruins descended in broken

cascades, until

it

was

lost in the

The

the mountain's base.

and

glass,

single cloud,

and a lofty

little

were

light blue I

an horizon

woods near

sea smooth as

unshadowed by a

terminates the view in front

on the

left,

several small

distinctly observed, studding the

wave with

spots of emerald green.

seldom enjoyed a view more than but our enquiries were

this

;

the

name

;

through a vista of

chesnut and palm-trees,

islands

A small stream

of the person

I

did

fruitless as to

who had

resided in

81

THE ISLAND OF MITYLENE. this

romantic solitude

none knew his name

:

but Dominick, his banker, "

Caiidia.

"

not."

And " If

said I

We

The Armenian,"

" could

ductor,

but

tell,

I

cannot you

particulars of

the

sure he will

tell,

old friend?"

island,

He

to others,

Armenian, but learnt several

He had

when he was

last

gave a cow to one

and cotton and

who

He

bought a new boat

live

lost his

dare not."

lord.

the girls

who had

I

and even danced with them

at the nuptial feast.

also

"

we

isolated

portioned eight young girls

man, horses

am

visit the

on our return to the town

to

said our con-

I can," said he,

had not time to

upon the

who had gone

by weaving these

own

in

a

for

gale,

silk to

articles.

a fisherman

and he

often

gave Greek Testaments to the poor children. In short,

from

he appeared to us,

collected, to

all

we

have been a very eccentric and

One

benevolent character.

circumstance

we

which our old friend

at the cottage

thought proper not to disclose.

He had a most

learnt,

beautiful daughter, with often seen

whom,

the lord

was

walking on the sea-shore, and he F

82

LORD BYRON'S RESIDENCE

IN

had bought her a piano-forte, and taught her himself the use of

it.

Such was the information with which we departed from the peaceful our imaginations

all

of Mitylene

isle

on the rack, guessing who

rambler in Greece could

this

money

was evident

it

disposition,

and

all

:

doubts

be.

He had

he had philanthropy of

those eccentricities which

mark peculiar genius. our

;

were

Arrived at Palermo, dispelled.

Falling in

company with Mr. FOSTER, the

architect, a

pupil of WYATT'S,

who had been

travelling in

Egypt and Greece,

"

all

" about

whom

Byron

I

;

We

individual," said he,

you are so anxious,

met him

of Tenedos,

The

in

and I also

my

travels

visited

we had

Lord

on the island

him at Mitylene."

had never then heard of

fame, as

is

his lordship's

been some years from home

;

but "Childe Harolde" being put into our hands

we

recognized the recluse of Calcla in every

page.

Deeply did

more curious but

we

we

regret not having been

in our researches at the cottage,

consoled ourselves with the idea of

returning to Mitylene on some future day;

83

THE ISLAND OF MITYLENE. but to

me that day will

this statement,

and

never return.

believing

I

make

not quite unin-

it

in justice to his lordship's

good

name, which has been grossly slandered.

He

teresting,

has been described as of an unfeeling disposition,

averse to associating with

human

way to sooth its The fact is pleasures.

nature, or contributing in any

sorrows, or add to

its

directly the reverse, as

from these

little

may be plainly

anecdotes.

All

gathered the finer

feelings of the heart, so elegantly depicted in his lordship's in

his

poems, seem to have their seat Tenderness, sympathy, and

bosom.

charity appear to guide his courting

the

all

repose

additional reason for

his actions

of

:

solitude is

and an

marking him as a being

on whose heart Religion hath

set her seal,

and

over whose head Benevolence hath thrown her

No man can read the preceding " traits" without feeling proud of him pleasing mantle.

as a countryman.

With

respect to his loves

or pleasures, I do not assume a right to give

an opinion. with

caution,

Reports are ever to be received particularly

when

directed

LORD SYRON'S RESIDENCE.

84

against man's moral integrity

;

and he who

dares justify himself before that awful tribunal

where errors

all

must appear, alone may censure the

of a

fellow-mortal.

Lord

Byron's

To do good

character

is

in secret,

and shun the world's applause,

worthy of his genius.

surest testimony of a virtuous heart

approving conscience.

THE END.

Gillet, Printer,

Crown-court, Flect-atrreu

71

is

and

the

self-

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