Жах Данвіча

           Inoursensibleage—sincetheDunwichhorrorof1928washushedupbythosewhohadthetown’sandtheworld’swelfareatheart—peopleshunitwithoutknowingexactlywhy. Perhapsonereason—thoughitcannotapplytouninformedstrangers—isthatthenativesarenowrepellentlydecadent,havinggonefaralongthatpathofretrogressionsocommoninmanyNewEnglandbackwaters. Theyhavecometoformaracebythemselves,withthewell-definedmentalandphysicalstigmataofdegeneracyandinbreeding. Theaverageoftheirintelligenceiswoefullylow,whilsttheirannalsreekofovertviciousnessandofhalf-hiddenmurders,incests,anddeedsofalmostunnameableviolenceandperversity. Theoldgentry,representingthetwoorthreearmigerousfamilieswhichcamefromSalemin1692,havekeptsomewhatabovethegenerallevelofdecay; thoughmanybranchesaresunkintothesordidpopulacesodeeplythatonlytheirnamesremainasakeytotheorigintheydisgrace. SomeoftheWhateleysandBishopsstillsendtheireldestsonstoHarvardandMiskatonic,thoughthosesonsseldomreturntothemoulderinggambrelroofsunderwhichtheyandtheirancestorswereborn. 

           Noone,eventhosewhohavethefactsconcerningtherecenthorror,cansayjustwhatisthematterwithDunwich; thougholdlegendsspeakofunhallowedritesandconclavesoftheIndians,amidstwhichtheycalledforbiddenshapesofshadowoutofthegreatroundedhills,andmadewildorgiasticprayersthatwereansweredbyloudcrackingsandrumblingsfromthegroundbelow. In1747theReverendAbijahHoadley,newlycometotheCongregationalChurchatDunwichVillage,preachedamemorablesermonontheclosepresenceofSatanandhisimps; inwhichhesaid: 

           "Itmustbeallow’d,thattheseBlasphemiesofaninfernallTrainofDaemonsareMattersoftoocommonKnowledgetobedeny’d;