Франкенштейн

           Irememberedonly,anditwaswithabitteranguishthatIreflectedonit,toorderthatmychemicalinstrumentsshouldbepackedtogowithme.Filledwithdrearyimaginations,Ipassedthroughmanybeautifulandmajesticscenes,butmyeyeswerefixedandunobserving.Icouldonlythinkofthebourneofmytravelsandtheworkwhichwastooccupymewhilsttheyendured.

           Aftersomedaysspentinlistlessindolence,duringwhichItraversedmanyleagues,IarrivedatStrasbourg,whereIwaitedtwodaysforClerval.Hecame.Alas,howgreatwasthecontrastbetweenus!Hewasalivetoeverynewscene,joyfulwhenhesawthebeautiesofthesettingsun,andmorehappywhenhebehelditriseandrecommenceanewday.Hepointedouttometheshiftingcoloursofthelandscapeandtheappearancesofthesky."Thisiswhatitistolive,"hecried;"howIenjoyexistence!Butyou,mydearFrankenstein,whereforeareyoudespondingandsorrowful!"Intruth,IwasoccupiedbygloomythoughtsandneithersawthedescentoftheeveningstarnorthegoldensunrisereflectedintheRhine.Andyou,myfriend,wouldbefarmoreamusedwiththejournalofClerval,whoobservedthescenerywithaneyeoffeelinganddelight,thaninlisteningtomyreflections.I,amiserablewretch,hauntedbyacursethatshutupeveryavenuetoenjoyment.

           WehadagreedtodescendtheRhineinaboatfromStrasbourgtoRotterdam,whencewemighttakeshippingforLondon.Duringthisvoyagewepassedmanywillowyislandsandsawseveralbeautifultowns.WestayedadayatMannheim,andonthefifthfromourdeparturefromStrasbourg,arrivedatMainz.ThecourseoftheRhinebelowMainzbecomesmuchmorepicturesque.Theriverdescendsrapidlyandwindsbetweenhills,nothigh,butsteep,andofbeautifulforms.