the Masque of_the red death

by Edgar Allan Poe

the " red death" had long devastated the country . no pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous . blood was its avatar and its seal -- the redness and_the horror of blood . there were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at_the pores, with dissolution . the scarlet stains upon_the body and especially upon_the face of_the victim, were the pest ban which shut him out from_the aid and from_the sympathy of_his fellow- men . and_the whole seizure, progress and termination of_the disease, were the incidents of half an hour .

but the prince Prospero was happy and dauntless and sagacious . when his dominions were half depopulated, he summoned to_his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among_the knights and dames of_his court, and with_these retired to_the deep seclusion of one of_his castellated abbeys . this_was an extensive and magnificent structure, the creation of_the prince's own eccentric yet August taste .a strong and lofty wall girdled it in . this wall had gates of iron . the courtiers, having entered, brought furnaces and massy hammers and welded the bolts . they resolved to leave means neither of ingress or egress to_the sudden impulses of despair or of frenzy from within . the abbey was amply provisioned . with_such precautions the courtiers might bid Defiance to contagion . the external world could take care of itself . in_the meantime it_was folly to grieve, or to_think . the prince had provided all the appliances of pleasure . there were buffoons, there were improvisatori, there were ballet-dancers, there were musicians, there_was beauty, there_was wine . all these and security were within . without was_the " red death ."

it_was toward the close of_the fifth or sixth month of_his seclusion, and while the pestilence raged most furiously abroad, that_the prince Prospero entertained his thousand friends at a masked ball of_the most unusual magnificence .

it_was a voluptuous scene, that masquerade . but first let me tell of_the rooms in_which it_was held . there were seven -- an imperial suite . in many palaces, however, such suites form a long and straight vista, while the folding doors slide back nearly to_the walls on either hand, so that_the view of_the whole extent is scarcely impeded . here the case was very different; as might_have_been expected from_the duke's love of_the bizarre . the apartments were so irregularly disposed that_the vision embraced but little more than one at_a_time . there_was a sharp turn at every twenty or thirty yards, and at each turn a novel effect . to_the right and left, in_the middle of each wall, a tall and narrow Gothic window looked out upon a closed corridor which pursued the windings of_the suite . these windows were of stained glass whose color varied in accordance with_the prevailing hue of_the decorations of_the chamber into which it opened . that at_the eastern extremity was hung, for example, in blue -- and vividly blue were its windows . the second chamber was purple in its ornaments and tapestries, and here the panes were purple . the third was green throughout, and so were the casements . the fourth was furnished and lighted with orange -- the fifth with white -- the sixth with violet . the seventh apartment was closely shrouded in black velvet tapestries that hung all over the ceiling and down the walls, falling in heavy folds upon a carpet of_the same material and hue . but in_this chamber only, the color of_the windows failed to correspond with_the decorations . the panes here were scarlet -- a deep blood color . now in no one_of_the seven apartments was there any lamp or candelabrum, amid the profusion of golden ornaments that lay scattered to and fro or depended from_the roof . there_was no light of any kind emanating from lamp or candle within_the suite of chambers . but in_the corridors that followed the suite, there stood, opposite to each window, a heavy tripod, bearing a brazier of fire that protected its rays through_the tinted glass and so glaringly illumined the room . and thus were produced a multitude of gaudy and fantastic appearances . but in_the western or black chamber the effect of_the fire- light that streamed upon_the dark hangings through_the blood- tinted panes, was ghastly in_the extreme, and produced so wild a look upon_the countenances of_those who entered, that there were few of_the company bold enough to set foot within its precincts at all .

it_was in_this apartment, also, that there stood against the western wall, a gigantic clock of ebony . its pendulum swung to and fro with a dull, heavy, monotonous clang; and when_the minute- hand made the circuit of_the face, and_the hour was to_be stricken, there came from_the brazen lungs of_the clock a sound which_was clear and loud and deep and exceedingly musical, but of so peculiar a note and emphasis that, at each lapse of an hour, the musicians of_the orchestra were constrained to pause, momentarily, in their performance, to hearken to_the sound; and thus the waltzers perforce ceased their evolutions; and there_was a brief disconcert of_the whole gay company; and, while the chimes of_the clock yet rang, it_was observed that_the giddiest grew pale, and_the more aged and sedate passed their hands over their brows as_if in confused reverie or meditation . but when_the echoes had fully ceased, a light laughter at once pervaded the assembly; the musicians looked at each_other and smiled as_if at their own nervousness and folly, and made whispering vows, each to_the other, that_the next chiming of_the clock should produce in_them no similar emotion; and then, after_the lapse of sixty minutes, ( which embrace three thousand and six hundred seconds of_the time that flies,) there came yet another chiming of_the clock, and then were the same disconcert and tremulousness and meditation as before .

but, in_spite of_these things, it_was a gay and magnificent revel . the tastes of_the duke were peculiar . he had a fine eye for colors and effects . he disregarded the decora of mere fashion . his plans were bold and fiery, and_his conceptions glowed with barbaric lustre . there_are some who_would_have thought him mad . his followers felt that he_was not . it_was necessary to hear and_see and touch him to_be_sure that he_was not .

he had directed, in great part, the moveable embellishments of_the seven chambers, upon occasion of_this great fete; and it_was his own guiding taste which had given character to_the masqueraders . be_sure they were grotesque . there were much glare and glitter and piquancy and phantasm -- much of what_has_been since seen in "Hernani ." there were arabesque figures with unsuited limbs and appointments . there were delirious fancies such as_the madman fashions . there_was much of_the beautiful, much of_the wanton, much of_the bizarre, something of_the terrible, and not a little of_that which might_have excited disgust . to and fro in_the seven chambers there stalked, in_fact, a multitude of dreams . and these -- the dreams -- writhed in and about, taking hue from_the rooms, and causing the wild music of_the orchestra to seem as_the echo of_their steps . and, anon, there strikes the ebony clock which stands in_the hall of_the velvet . and then, for a moment, all is still, and all is silent save the voice of_the clock . the dreams are stiff- frozen as_they stand . but the echoes of_the chime die away -- they_have endured but an instant -- and a light, half- subdued laughter floats after them as_they depart . and now again the music swells, and_the dreams live, and writhe to and fro more merrily than ever, taking hue from_the many- tinted windows through which stream the rays from_the tripods . but to_the chamber which lies most westwardly of_the seven, there_are now none_of_the maskers who venture; for_the night is waning away; and there flows a ruddier light through_the blood- colored panes; and_the blackness of_the sable drapery appals; and to him whose foot falls upon_the sable carpet, there comes from_the near clock of ebony a muffled peal more solemnly emphatic than any which reaches their ears who indulge in_the more remote gaieties of_the other apartments .

but these other apartments were densely crowded, and in_them beat feverishly the heart of life . and_the revel went whirlingly on, until at_length there commenced the sounding of midnight upon_the clock . and then the music ceased, as I_have told; and_the evolutions of_the waltzers were quieted; and there_was an uneasy cessation of all things as before . but now there were twelve strokes to_be sounded by_the bell of_the clock; and thus it happened, perhaps, that more of thought crept, with more of_time, into_the meditations of_the thoughtful among those who revelled . and thus, too, it happened, perhaps, that before_the last echoes of_the last chime had utterly sunk into silence, there were many individuals in_the crowd who had found leisure to_become aware of_the presence of a masked figure which had arrested the attention of no single individual before . and_the rumor of_this new presence having spread itself whisperingly around, there arose at_length from_the whole company a buzz, or murmur, expressive of disapprobation and surprise -- then, finally, of terror, of horror, and of disgust .

in an assembly of phantasms such as I_have painted, it may well be supposed that no ordinary appearance could_have excited such sensation . in truth the masquerade license of_the night was nearly unlimited; but the figure in_question had out-Heroded Herod, and gone beyond the bounds of even the prince's indefinite decorum . there_are chords in_the hearts of_the most reckless which cannot_be touched without emotion . even with_the utterly lost, to_whom life and death are equally jests, there_are matters of_which no jest can_be made . the whole company, indeed, seemed now deeply to_feel that in_the costume and bearing of_the stranger neither wit nor propriety existed . the figure was tall and gaunt, and shrouded from head to foot in_the habiliments of_the grave . the mask which concealed the visage was_made so nearly to resemble the countenance of a stiffened corpse that_the closest scrutiny must_have had difficulty in detecting the cheat . and yet all this might_have_been endured, if_not approved, by_the mad revellers around . but the mummer had gone so_far as_to assume the type of_the red death . his vesture was dabbled in blood -- and_his broad brow, with all the features of_the face, was besprinkled with_the scarlet horror .

when_the eyes of prince Prospero fell upon_this spectral image ( which with a slow and solemn movement, as_if more fully to sustain its role, stalked to and fro among_the waltzers) he_was seen to_be convulsed, in_the first moment with a strong shudder either of terror or distaste; but, in_the next, his brow reddened with rage .

" who dares ? " he demanded hoarsely of_the courtiers who stood near him -- " who dares insult us with_this blasphemous mockery ? seize him and unmask him -- that we_may know whom we_have to hang at sunrise, from_the battlements ! "

it_was in_the eastern or blue chamber in_which stood the prince Prospero as he uttered these words . they rang throughout_the seven rooms loudly and clearly -- for_the prince was a bold and robust man, and_the music had become hushed at_the waving of_his hand .

it_was in_the blue room where stood the prince, with a group of pale courtiers by his side . at first, as he spoke, there_was a slight rushing movement of_this group in_the direction of_the intruder, who at_the moment was also near at hand, and now, with deliberate and stately step, made closer approach to_the speaker . but from a certain nameless awe with_which the mad assumptions of_the mummer had inspired the whole party, there were found none who put forth hand to seize him; so_that, unimpeded, he passed within a yard of_the prince's person; and, while the vast assembly, as_if with one impulse, shrank from_the centres of_the rooms to_the walls, he_made his way uninterruptedly, but with_the same solemn and measured step which had distinguished him from_the first, through_the blue chamber to_the purple -- through_the purple to_the green -- through_the green to_the orange -- through_this again to_the white -- and even thence to_the violet, ere adecided movement had_been made to arrest him . it_was then, however, that_the prince Prospero, maddening with rage and_the shame of_his own momentary cowardice, rushed hurriedly through_the six chambers, while none followed him on account of a deadly terror that had seized upon all . he bore aloft a drawn dagger, and had approached, in rapid impetuosity, to within three or four feet of_the retreating figure, when_the latter, having attained the extremity of_the velvet apartment, turned suddenly and confronted his pursuer . there_was a sharp cry -- and_the dagger dropped gleaming upon_the sable carpet, upon_which, instantly afterwards, fell prostrate in death the prince Prospero . then, summoning the wild courage of despair, a throng of_the revellers at once threw themselves into_the black apartment, and, seizing the mummer, whose tall figure stood erect and motionless within_the shadow of_the ebony clock, gasped in unutterable horror at finding the grave-cerements and corpse- like mask which they handled with so violent a rudeness, untenanted by any tangible form .

and now was acknowledged the presence of_the red death . he had come like a thief in_the night . and one by one dropped the revellers in_the blood-bedewed halls of_their revel, and died each in_the despairing posture of_his fall . and_the life of_the ebony clock went out with_that of_the last of_the gay . and_the flames of_the tripods expired . and darkness and decay and_the red death held illimitable dominion over all .