Червона літера

           Oftener,however,itscredibilityrestedonthefaithofsomelonelyeye-witness,whobeheldthewonderthroughthecoloured,magnifying,anddistortedmediumofhisimagination,andshapeditmoredistinctlyinhisafter-thought.Itwas,indeed,amajesticideathatthedestinyofnationsshouldberevealed,intheseawfulhieroglyphics,onthecopeofheaven.AscrollsowidemightnotbedeemedtooexpensiveforProvidencetowriteapeople’sdoomupon.Thebeliefwasafavouriteonewithourforefathers,asbetokeningthattheirinfantcommonwealthwasunderacelestialguardianshipofpeculiarintimacyandstrictness.Butwhatshallwesay,whenanindividualdiscoversarevelationaddressedtohimselfalone,onthesamevastsheetofrecord.Insuchacase,itcouldonlybethesymptomofahighlydisorderedmentalstate,whenaman,renderedmorbidlyself-contemplativebylong,intense,andsecretpain,hadextendedhisegotismoverthewholeexpanseofnature,untilthefirmamentitselfshouldappearnomorethanafittingpageforhissoul’shistoryandfate.

           Weimputeit,therefore,solelytothediseaseinhisowneyeandheartthattheminister,lookingupwardtothezenith,beheldtheretheappearanceofanimmenseletter—theletterA—markedoutinlinesofdullredlight.Notbutthemeteormayhaveshownitselfatthatpoint,burningduskilythroughaveilofcloud,butwithnosuchshapeashisguiltyimaginationgaveit,or,atleast,withsolittledefiniteness,thatanother’sguiltmighthaveseenanothersymbolinit.