Лигейя

           Andthereareoneortwostarsinheaven—(oneespecially,astarofthesixthmagnitude,doubleandchangeable,tobefoundnearthelargestarinLyra)inatelescopicscrutinyofwhichIhavebeenmadeawareofthefeeling. Ihavebeenfilledwithitbycertainsoundsfromstringedinstruments,andnotunfrequentlybypassagesfrombooks. Amonginnumerableotherinstances,IwellremembersomethinginavolumeofJosephGlanvill,which(perhapsmerelyfromitsquaintness—whoshallsay?) neverfailedtoinspiremewiththesentiment; —"Andthewillthereinlieth,whichdiethnot. Whoknoweththemysteriesofthewill,withitsvigor? ForGodisbutagreatwillpervadingallthingsbynatureofitsintentness. Mandothnotyieldhimtotheangels,noruntodeathutterly,saveonlythroughtheweaknessofhisfeeblewill." 

           Lengthofyears,andsubsequentreflection,haveenabledmetotrace,indeed,someremoteconnectionbetweenthispassageintheEnglishmoralistandaportionofthecharacterofLigeia. Anintensityinthought,action,orspeech,waspossibly,inher,aresult,oratleastanindex,ofthatgiganticvolitionwhich,duringourlongintercourse,failedtogiveotherandmoreimmediateevidenceofitsexistence. OfallthewomenwhomIhaveeverknown,she,theoutwardlycalm,theever-placidLigeia,wasthemostviolentlyapreytothetumultuousvulturesofsternpassion. AndofsuchpassionIcouldformnoestimate,savebythemiraculousexpansionofthoseeyeswhichatoncesodelightedandappalledme—bythealmostmagicalmelody, modulation,distinctnessandplacidityofherverylowvoice—andbythefierceenergy(rendereddoublyeffectivebycontrastwithhermannerofutterance)ofthewildwordswhichshehabituallyuttered.