by Edgar Allan Poe

The garden like lady fair was cut, That lay she slumbered in delight, And open skies her eyes did shut The azure fields of Heaven were 'sembled right In large round, set flowers of light The flowers de luce, round sparks of dew That hung upon their azure leaves did shew Like twinkling stars that sparkle evening blue Giles Fletcher

cradle grave gale of prosperity bore my friend Ellison along Nor do I use the word prosperity in its mere worldly sense I mean it as synonymous with happiness The person of whom I speak seemed born of foreshadowing the doctrines of Turgot, Price, Priestley, and Condorcet -- of exemplifying by individual instance deemed the chimera perfectionists brief existence of Ellison I fancy that refuted the dogma, that in man's very nature lies some hidden principle, the antagonist of bliss An anxious examination career me to understand that in general, violation of few simple laws of humanity arises the wretchedness of mankind -- that as species possession the unwrought elements of content -- , even now, present darkness and madness of all thought great question social condition, impossible that man, the individual, under certain unusual and highly fortuitous conditions, happy

With opinions such my young friend, too, was fully imbued, and thus worthy of observation uninterrupted enjoyment which distinguished his life was, in great measure, the result of preconcert indeed evident that with less instinctive philosophy which, , stands stead of experience, Mr Ellison found himself precipitated, very extraordinary success life, common vortex of unhappiness which yawns of pre-eminent endowments But by no means my object to pen an essay on happiness The ideas friend summed up in few words He admitted but four elementary principles, or more strictly, conditions of bliss That which he considered chief was (strange ! ) the simple and purely physical one of free exercise open air "The health," , "attainable by other means is scarcely worth the name " He instanced the ecstasies fox-hunter, and pointed tillers earth, the only people who, as class, fairly considered happier than others His second condition love of woman His third, and most difficult of realization, contempt of ambition His fourth was an object of unceasing pursuit; and he held that, other things being equal, the extent of attainable happiness was in proportion spirituality object

Ellison was remarkable continuous profusion of good gifts lavished upon him by fortune In personal grace and beauty he exceeded all men His intellect was order acquisition of knowledge is less labor than an intuition and necessity His family was illustrious empire His bride loveliest and most devoted of women His possessions always ample; but attainment majority, discovered that one extraordinary freaks of fate played behalf which startle the whole social world amid which they occur, and seldom fail radically to alter the moral constitution their objects

It appears that about hundred years before Mr Ellison's coming of age, there had died, in remote province, one Mr Seabright Ellison This gentleman had amassed princely fortune, and, having no immediate connections, conceived the whim of suffering his wealth to accumulate for century after his decease Minutely and sagaciously directing the various modes of investment, he bequeathed the aggregate amount nearest of blood, bearing the name of Ellison, alive end hundred years Many attempts made to set aside this singular bequest; their ex post facto character rendered them abortive; but the attention of jealous government was aroused, and legislative act finally obtained, forbidding all similar accumulations This act, however, prevent young Ellison from entering into possession, twenty-first birthday, heir ancestor Seabright, of fortune of four hundred and fifty millions of dollars {*1}

When it had become known that such enormous wealth inherited, there were, , many speculations mode disposal The magnitude immediate availability sum bewildered all who thought topic The possessor of any appreciable amount of money imagined to perform of thousand things With riches merely surpassing those of any citizen, it easy to suppose him engaging to supreme excess fashionable extravagances time -- or busying himself with political intrigue -- or aiming at ministerial power -- or purchasing increase of nobility -- or collecting large museums of virtu -- or playing the munificent patron of letters, of science, of art -- or endowing, and bestowing his name upon extensive institutions of charity But inconceivable wealth actual possession heir, these objects and all ordinary objects were felt to afford too limited field Recourse was had to figures, and these but sufficed to confound seen that, even at three per cent , the annual income inheritance amounted to no thirteen millions and five hundred thousand dollars; one million and one hundred and twenty-five thousand per month; or thirty-six thousand nine hundred and eighty-six per day; or one thousand five hundred and forty-one per hour; or six and twenty dollars for that flew Thus the usual track of supposition was thoroughly broken up Men knew not what to imagine There were some who even conceived that Mr Ellison would divest himself of one-half fortune, as of utterly superfluous opulence -- enriching whole troops relatives by division superabundance nearest , , abandon the very unusual wealth his own inheritance

not surprised, however, to perceive that he had long made up his mind on point which had occasioned discussion friends Nor was I greatly astonished nature decision In regard to individual charities he had satisfied his conscience possibility of any improvement, properly so called, being effected by man himself general condition of man, he had ( sorry to confess it) little faith whole, whether happily or unhappily, thrown back, in very great measure, upon self

widest and noblest sense poet He comprehended, moreover, the true character, the august aims, the supreme majesty and dignity poetic sentiment The fullest, the sole proper satisfaction sentiment he instinctively felt to lie creation of novel forms of beauty Some peculiarities, either early education, or nature intellect, had tinged with termed materialism all his ethical speculations; and it bias, perhaps, which led him most advantageous , the sole legitimate field poetic exercise, lies creation of novel moods of purely physical loveliness Thus it happened he became neither musician nor poet -- use this latter term in its every-day acceptation Or it that he neglected either, merely in pursuance idea that in contempt of ambition found essential principles of happiness on earth not indeed, possible that, while high order of genius is necessarily ambitious, the highest is above that termed ambition ? And may it not thus happen that many far greater than Milton have contentedly remained "mute and inglorious ? " I believe world has never seen -- , unless through some series of accidents goading the noblest order of mind into distasteful exertion, the world will never see -- that full extent of triumphant execution, richer domains of art, the human nature is absolutely capable

Ellison became neither musician nor poet; although no man lived more profoundly enamored of music and poetry Under other circumstances than those which invested him, impossible that become painter Sculpture, although in its nature rigorously poetical was too limited in its extent and consequences, occupied, at , much attention And now mentioned all the provinces common understanding poetic sentiment has declared it capable of expatiating But Ellison maintained richest, the truest, and most natural, altogether the most extensive province, unaccountably neglected No definition had spoken landscape-gardener as poet; yet it seemed to my friend creation landscape-garden offered proper Muse the most magnificent of opportunities Here, indeed, fairest field display of imagination endless combining of forms of novel beauty; the elements to enter into combination being, by vast superiority, the most glorious which the earth could afford multiform and multicolor flowers trees, he recognised the most direct and energetic efforts of Nature at physical loveliness And direction or concentration effort -- or, more properly, in its adaptation eyes which were to behold it on earth -- he perceived that employing the best means -- laboring greatest advantage -- fulfilment, own destiny as poet, but august purposes the Deity had implanted the poetic sentiment in man