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 horror of blood There were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding pores, with dissolution The scarlet stains body and especially face victim, were the pest ban which shut him out aid and sympathy fellow-men whole seizure, progress and termination 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 presence thousand hale and light-hearted friends from knights and dames court, and retired deep seclusion of one castellated abbeys an extensive and magnificent structure, the creation prince's own eccentric yet august taste 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 sudden impulses of despair or of frenzy from within The abbey was amply provisioned precautions the courtiers might bid defiance to contagion The external world could take care of itself meantime folly to grieve, or The prince had provided all the appliances of pleasure There were buffoons, there were improvisatori, there were ballet-dancers, there were musicians, Beauty, wine All these and security were within Without "Red Death "

toward the close fifth or sixth month seclusion, and while the pestilence raged most furiously abroad, Prince Prospero entertained his thousand friends at masked ball most unusual magnificence

voluptuous scene, that masquerade But first let me tell rooms held There were seven -- an imperial suite In many palaces, however, such suites form long and straight vista, while the folding doors slide back nearly walls on either hand, so view whole extent is scarcely impeded Here the case was very different; as expected duke's love bizarre The apartments were so irregularly disposed vision embraced but little more than one sharp turn at every twenty or thirty yards, and at each turn novel effect right and left, middle of each wall, tall and narrow Gothic window looked out upon closed corridor which pursued the windings suite These windows were of stained glass whose color varied in accordance prevailing hue decorations chamber into which it opened That 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 carpet same material and hue But chamber only, the color windows failed to correspond decorations The panes here were scarlet -- deep blood color Now in no seven apartments was there any lamp or candelabrum, amid the profusion of golden ornaments that lay scattered to and fro or depended roof no light of any kind emanating from lamp or candle suite of chambers But corridors that followed the suite, there stood, opposite to each window, heavy tripod, bearing brazier of fire that protected its rays tinted glass and so glaringly illumined the room And thus were produced multitude of gaudy and fantastic appearances But western or black chamber the effect fire-light that streamed dark hangings blood-tinted panes, was ghastly extreme, and produced so wild look countenances who entered, that there were few company bold enough to set foot within its precincts at all

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

But, things, gay and magnificent revel The tastes duke were peculiar He had fine eye for colors and effects He disregarded the decora of mere fashion His plans were bold and fiery, conceptions glowed with barbaric lustre some thought him mad His followers felt that not necessary to hear and touch him that not

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

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

In an assembly of phantasms such as painted, it may well be supposed that no ordinary appearance excited such sensation In truth the masquerade license night was nearly unlimited; but the figure had out-Heroded Herod, and gone beyond the bounds of even the prince's indefinite decorum chords hearts most reckless which touched without emotion Even utterly lost, life and death are equally jests, matters no jest made The whole company, indeed, seemed now deeply that costume and bearing stranger neither wit nor propriety existed The figure was tall and gaunt, and shrouded from head to foot habiliments grave The mask which concealed the visage so nearly to resemble the countenance of stiffened corpse closest scrutiny had difficulty in detecting the cheat And yet all this endured, approved, mad revellers around But the mummer had gone assume the type Red Death His vesture was dabbled in blood -- broad brow, with all the features face, was besprinkled scarlet horror

eyes of Prince Prospero fell spectral image (which with slow and solemn movement, more fully to sustain its role, stalked to and fro waltzers) seen convulsed, first moment with strong shudder either of terror or distaste; but, next, his brow reddened with rage

"Who dares ? " he demanded hoarsely courtiers who stood near him -- "who dares insult us blasphemous mockery ? Seize him and unmask him -- that know whom to hang at sunrise, battlements ! "

eastern or blue chamber stood the Prince Prospero as he uttered these words They rang seven rooms loudly and clearly -- prince was bold and robust man, music had become hushed waving hand

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