The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe
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the pit and_the pendulum

by Edgar Allan Poe

Impia tortorum longos hic turba furores Sanguinis innocui, non satiata, aluit .Sospite nunc patria, fracto nunc funeris antro, Mors ubi dira fuit vita salusque patent .

[_Quatrain composed for_the gates of a market to he erected upon_the site of_the Jacobin club house at Paris .]

i_was sick -- sick unto death with_that long agony; and when_they at_length unbound me, and i_was permitted to sit, I_felt that my senses were leaving me . the sentence -- the dread sentence of death -- was_the last of distinct accentuation which reached my ears . after_that, the sound of_the inquisitorial voices seemed merged in one dreamy indeterminate hum . it conveyed to my soul the idea of revolution -- perhaps from its association in fancy with_the burr of a mill wheel . this only for a brief period; for presently I heard no more . yet, for a while, I_saw; but with how terrible an exaggeration ! I_saw the lips of_the black- robed judges . they appeared to_me white -- whiter than_the sheet upon_which I trace these words -- and thin even to grotesqueness; thin with_the intensity of_their expression of firmness -- of immoveable resolution -- of stern contempt of human torture . I_saw that_the decrees of what to_me was fate, were still issuing from those lips . I_saw them writhe with a deadly locution . I_saw them fashion the syllables of_my name; and I shuddered because no sound succeeded . I_saw, too, for a few_moments of delirious horror, the soft and nearly imperceptible waving of_the sable draperies which enwrapped the walls of_the apartment . and then my vision fell upon_the seven tall candles upon_the table . at first they wore the aspect of charity, and seemed white and slender angels who_would save me; but then, all at once, there came a most deadly nausea over my spirit, and I_felt every fibre in my frame thrill as_if I had touched the wire of agalvanic battery, while the angel forms became meaningless spectres, with heads of flame, and I_saw that from_them there would_be no help . and then there stole into my fancy, like a rich musical note, the thought of what sweet rest there_must_be in_the grave . the thought came gently and stealthily, and it seemed long before it attained full appreciation; but just as my spirit came at_length properly to_feel and entertain it, the figures of_the judges vanished, as_if magically, from before me; the tall candles sank into nothingness; their flames went out utterly; the blackness of darkness supervened; all sensations appeared swallowed up in a mad rushing descent as of_the soul into Hades . then silence, and stillness, night were the universe .

I had swooned; but still will not say that all of consciousness was lost . what of it there remained i_will_not attempt to define, or even to describe; yet all was not lost . in_the deepest slumber -- no ! in delirium -- no ! in a swoon -- no ! in death -- no ! even in_the grave all is_not lost . else there_is no immortality for man .Arousing from_the most profound of slumbers, we break the gossamer web of some dream . yet in a second afterward, ( so frail may that web have_been) we remember not that we_have dreamed . in_the return to life from_the swoon there_are two stages; first, that of_the sense of mental or spiritual; secondly, that of_the sense of physical, existence . it seems probable that if, upon reaching the second stage, we_could recall the impressions of_the first, we_should find these impressions eloquent in memories of_the gulf beyond . and_that gulf is -- what ? how at_least shall we distinguish its shadows from those of_the tomb ? but if_the impressions of what I_have termed the first stage, are_not, at will, recalled, yet, after long interval, do they not come unbidden, while we marvel whence they_come ? he who has never swooned, is_not he who finds strange palaces and wildly familiar faces in coals that glow; is_not he who beholds floating in mid- air the sad visions that_the many may not view; is_not he who ponders over the perfume of some novel flower -- is_not he whose brain grows bewildered with_the meaning of some musical cadence which_has never before arrested his attention .

Amid frequent and thoughtful endeavors to remember; amid earnest struggles to regather some token of_the state of seeming nothingness into which my soul had lapsed, there_have been moments when I_have dreamed of success; there_have been brief, very brief periods when I_have conjured up remembrances which the lucid reason of a later epoch assures me could_have had reference only to_that condition of seeming unconsciousness . these shadows of memory tell, indistinctly, of tall figures that lifted and bore me in silence down -- down -- still down -- till a hideous dizziness oppressed me at_the mere idea of_the interminableness of_the descent . they tell also of a vague horror at my heart, on account of_that heart's unnatural stillness . then comes a sense of sudden motionlessness throughout all things; as_if those who bore me (a ghastly train ! ) had outrun, in their descent, the limits of_the limitless, and paused from_the wearisomeness of_their toil . after_this I call to mind flatness and dampness; and then all is madness -- the madness of a memory which busies itself among forbidden things .

very suddenly there came back to my soul motion and sound -- the tumultuous motion of_the heart, and, in my ears, the sound of_its beating . then a pause in_which all is blank . then again sound, and motion, and touch -- atingling sensation pervading my frame . then the mere consciousness of existence, without thought -- a condition which lasted long . then, very suddenly, thought, and shuddering terror, and earnest endeavor to comprehend my true state . then a strong desire to lapse into insensibility . then arushing revival of soul and a successful effort to move . and now a full memory of_the trial, of_the judges, of_the sable draperies, of_the sentence, of_the sickness, of_the swoon . then entire forgetfulness of all that followed; of all that a later day and much earnestness of endeavor have enabled me vaguely to recall .

so_far, I had_not opened my eyes . I_felt that I lay upon my back, unbound .I reached out my hand, and it fell heavily upon something damp and hard . there I suffered it to remain for many minutes, while I strove to imagine where and what I_could_be .I longed, yet dared not to employ my vision .I dreaded the first glance at objects around me . it_was not that I feared to look upon things horrible, but that I grew aghast lest there should_be nothing to_see . at_length, with a wild desperation at heart, I quickly unclosed my eyes . my worst thoughts, then, were confirmed . the blackness of eternal night encompassed me .I struggled for breath . the intensity of_the darkness seemed to oppress and stifle me . the atmosphere was intolerably close .I still lay quietly, and made effort to exercise my reason .I brought to mind the inquisitorial proceedings, and attempted from_that point to deduce my real condition . the sentence had passed; and it appeared to_me that a very long interval of_time had since elapsed . yet not for a moment did I suppose myself actually dead . such a supposition, notwithstanding what we read in fiction, is altogether inconsistent with real existence; -- but where and in what state was I ? the condemned to death, I_knew, perished usually at_the autos- DA-fe, and one_of_these had_been held on_the very night of_the day of_my trial . had I been remanded to my dungeon, to await the next sacrifice, which would_not take place for many months ? this I at once saw could_not_be .Victims had_been in immediate demand . moreover, my dungeon, as_well as all the condemned cells at Toledo, had stone floors, and light was not altogether excluded .

a fearful idea now suddenly drove the blood in torrents upon my heart, and for a brief period, I once more relapsed into insensibility . upon recovering, I at once started to my feet, trembling convulsively in every fibre .I thrust my arms wildly above and around me in all directions . I_felt nothing; yet dreaded to move a step, lest i_should_be impeded by_the walls of a tomb . perspiration burst from every pore, and stood in cold big beads upon my forehead . the agony of suspense grew at_length intolerable, and I cautiously moved forward, with my arms extended, and my eyes straining from their sockets, in_the hope of catching some faint ray of light .I proceeded for many paces; but still all was blackness and vacancy .I breathed more freely . it seemed evident that mine was not, at_least, the most hideous of fates .

and now, as I still continued to step cautiously onward, there came thronging upon my recollection a thousand vague rumors of_the horrors of Toledo . of_the dungeons there had_been strange things narrated -- fables I had always deemed them -- but yet strange, and too ghastly to repeat, save in a whisper . was I left to perish of starvation in_this subterranean world of darkness; or what fate, perhaps even more fearful, awaited me ? that_the result would_be death, and a death of more than customary bitterness, I_knew too well the character of_my judges to doubt . the mode and_the hour were all that occupied or distracted me .

my outstretched hands at_length encountered some solid obstruction . it_was a wall, seemingly of stone masonry -- very smooth, slimy, and cold .I followed it up; stepping with all the careful distrust with_which certain antique narratives had inspired me . this process, however, afforded me no means of ascertaining the dimensions of_my dungeon; as I_might make its circuit, and return to_the point whence I set out, without being aware of_the fact; so perfectly uniform seemed the wall .I therefore sought the knife which had_been in my pocket, when led into_the inquisitorial chamber; but it_was gone; my clothes had_been exchanged for a wrapper of coarse serge .I had thought of forcing the blade in some minute crevice of_the masonry, so as_to identify my point of departure . the difficulty, nevertheless, was but trivial; although, in_the disorder of_my fancy, it seemed at first insuperable .I tore a part of_the hem from_the robe and placed the fragment at full length, and at right angles to_the wall . in groping my way around the prison, I_could_not fail to encounter this rag upon completing the circuit . so, at_least i_thought: but I had_not counted upon_the extent of_the dungeon, or upon my own weakness . the ground was moist and slippery .I staggered onward for some_time, when I stumbled and fell . my excessive fatigue induced me to remain prostrate; and sleep soon overtook me as I lay .

upon awaking, and stretching forth an arm, I_found beside me a loaf and a pitcher with water . i_was too_much exhausted to reflect upon_this circumstance, but ate and drank with avidity . shortly afterward, I resumed my tour around the prison, and with much toil came at last upon_the fragment of_the serge . up_to_the period when I fell I had counted fifty- two paces, and upon resuming my walk, I had counted forty-eight more; -- when I arrived at_the rag . there were in all, then, a hundred paces; and, admitting two paces to_the yard, I presumed the dungeon to_be fifty yards in circuit .I had met, however, with many angles in_the wall, and thus I_could form no guess at_the shape of_the vault; for vault I_could_not help supposing it to_be .

I had little object -- certainly no hope these researches; but a vague curiosity prompted me to_continue them .Quitting the wall, I resolved to cross the area of_the enclosure . at first I proceeded with extreme caution, for_the floor, although seemingly of solid material, was treacherous with slime . at_length, however, i_took courage, and did_not hesitate to step firmly; endeavoring to cross in as direct a line as possible .I had advanced some ten or twelve paces in_this manner, when_the remnant of_the torn hem of_my robe became entangled between my legs .I stepped on_it, and fell violently on my face .

in_the confusion attending my fall, I_did_not immediately apprehend a somewhat startling circumstance, which yet, in a few seconds afterward, and while I still lay prostrate, arrested my attention . it was_this -- my chin rested upon_the floor of_the prison, but my lips and_the upper portion of_my head, although seemingly at a less elevation than_the chin, touched nothing . at_the same time my forehead seemed bathed in a clammy vapor, and_the peculiar smell of decayed fungus arose to my nostrils .I put forward my arm, and shuddered to_find that I had fallen at_the very brink of a circular pit, whose extent, of_course, I had no means of ascertaining at_the moment .Groping about_the masonry just below the margin, I succeeded in dislodging a small fragment, and let it fall into_the abyss . for many seconds I hearkened to its reverberations as it dashed against the sides of_the chasm in its descent; at_length there_was a sullen plunge into water, succeeded by loud echoes . at_the same moment there came a sound resembling the quick opening, and as rapid closing of a door overhead, while a faint gleam of light flashed suddenly through_the gloom, and as suddenly faded away .

I_saw clearly the doom which had_been prepared for_me, and congratulated myself upon_the timely accident by_which I had escaped . another step before my fall, and_the world had seen me no more . and_the death just avoided, was of_that very character which I had regarded as fabulous and frivolous in_the tales respecting the inquisition .

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