I spent the following day roaming
through the valley. I stood beside
the sources of the Arveiron,
which take their rise in a glacier,
that with slow pace is advancing
down from the summit of the hills,
to barricade the valley. The
abrupt sides of vast mountains
were before me; the icy wall
of the glacier overhung me; a
few shattered pines were scattered
around; and the solemn silence
of this glorious presence-chamber
of imperial Nature was broken
only by the brawling waves, or
the fall of some vast fragment,
the thunder sound of the avalanche,
or the cracking reverberated
along the mountains of the accumulated
ice, which, through the silent
working of immutable laws, was
ever and anon rent and torn,
as if it had been but a plaything
in their hands. These sublime
and magnificent scenes afforded
me the greatest consolation that
I was capable of receiving. They
elevated me from all littleness
of feeling; and although they
did not remove my grief, they
subdued and tranquillised it.
In some degree, also, they diverted
my mind from the thoughts over
which it had brooded for the
last month. I retired to rest
at night; my slumbers, as it
were, waited on and ministered
to by the assemblance of grand
shapes which I had contemplated
during the day. They congregated
round me; the unstained snowy
mountain-top, the glittering
pinnacle, the pine woods, and
ragged bare ravine; the eagle,
soaring amidst the clouds--they
all gathered round me, and bade
me be at peace.
Where had they fled when the
next morning I awoke? All of
soul-inspiriting fled with sleep,
and dark melancholy clouded every
thought. The rain was pouring
in torrents, and thick mists
hid the summits of the mountains,
so that I even saw not the faces
of those mighty friends. Still
I would penetrate their misty
veil, and seek them in their
cloudy retreats. What were rain
and storm to me? My mule was
brought to the door, and I resolved
to ascend to the summit of Montanvert.
I remembered the effect that
the view of the tremendous and
ever-moving glacier had produced
upon my mind when I first saw
it. It had then filled me with
a sublime ecstasy that gave wings
to the soul, and allowed it to
soar from the obscure world to
light and joy. The sight of the
awful and majestic in nature
had indeed always the effect
of solemnising my mind, and causing
me to forget the passing cares
of life. I determined to go without
a guide, for I was well acquainted
with the path, and the presence
of another would destroy the
solitary grandeur of the scene.
The ascent is precipitous,
but the path is cut into continual
and short windings, which enable
you to surmount the perpendicularity
of the mountain. It is a scene
terrifically desolate. In a thousand
spots the traces of the winter
avalanche may be perceived, where
trees lie broken and strewed
on the ground; some entirely
destroyed, others bent, leaning
upon the jutting rocks of the
mountain, or transversely upon
other trees. The path, as you
ascend higher, is intersected
by ravines of snow, down which
stones continually roll from
above; one of them is particularly
dangerous, as the slightest sound,
such as even speaking in a loud
voice, produces a concussion
of air sufficient to draw destruction
upon the head of the speaker.
The pines are not tall or luxuriant,
but they are sombre, and add
an air of severity to the scene.
I looked on the valley beneath;
vast mists were rising from the
rivers which ran through it,
and curling in thick wreaths
around the opposite mountains,
whose summits were hid in the
uniform clouds, while rain poured
from the dark sky, and added
to the melancholy impression
I received from the objects around
me. Alas! why does man boast
of sensibilities superior to
those apparent in the brute;
it only renders them more necessary
beings. If our impulses were
confined to hunger, thirst, and
desire, we might be nearly free;
but now we are moved by every
wind that blows, and a chance
word or scene that that word
may convey to us.
"We rest; a
dream has power to poison sleep.
We rise; one
wandering thought pollutes the
day. We feel, conceive, or reason;
laugh or weep, Embrace fond woe,
or cast our cares away; It is
the same: for, be it joy or sorrow,
The path of its departure still
is free. Man's yesterday may
ne'er be like his morrow. Nought
may endure but mutability!"
It was nearly
noon when I arrived at the
top of the ascent. For
some time I sat upon the rock
that overlooks the sea of ice.
A mist covered both that and
the surrounding mountains. Presently
a breeze dissipated the cloud,
and I descended upon the glacier.
The surface is very uneven, rising
like the waves of a troubled
sea, descending low, and interspersed
by rifts that sink deep. The
field of ice is almost a league
in width, but I spent nearly
two hours in crossing it. The
opposite mountain is a bare perpendicular
rock. From the side where I now
stood Montanvert was exactly
opposite, at the distance of
a league; and above it rose Mont
Blanc, in awful majesty. I remained
in a recess of the rock, gazing
on this wonderful and stupendous
scene. The sea, or rather the
vast river of ice, wound among
its dependent mountains, whose
aerial summits hung over its
recesses. Their icy and glittering
peaks shone in the sunlight over
the clouds. My heart, which was
before sorrowful, now swelled
with something like joy; I exclaimed-- "Wandering
spirits, if indeed ye wander,
and do not rest in your narrow
beds, allow me this faint happiness,
or take me, as your companion,
away from the joys of life."
As I said this, I suddenly
beheld the figure of a man, at
some distance, advancing towards
me with superhuman speed. He
bounded over the crevices in
the ice, among which I had walked
with caution; his stature, also,
as he approached, seemed to exceed
that of man. I was troubled:
a mist came over my eyes, and
I felt a faintness seize me;
but I was quickly restored by
the cold gale of the mountains.
I perceived, as the shape came
nearer (sight tremendous and
abhorred!) that it was the wretch
whom I had created. I trembled
with rage and horror, resolving
to wait his approach, and then
close with him in mortal combat.
He approached; his countenance
bespoke bitter anguish, combined
with disdain and malignity, while
its unearthly ugliness rendered
it almost too horrible for human
eyes. But I scarcely observed
this; rage and hatred had at
first deprived me of utterance,
and I recovered only to overwhelm
him with words expressive of
furious detestation and contempt.
"Devil," I exclaimed, "do
you dare approach me? and do
not
you fear the fierce vengeance
of my arm wreaked on your miserable
head? Begone, vile insect! or
rather, stay, that I may trample
you to dust! and, oh! that I
could, with the extinction of
your miserable existence, restore
those victims whom you have so
diabolically murdered!"
"I expected this reception," said
the daemon. "All men hate the
wretched; how, then, must I be
hated, who am miserable beyond
all living things! Yet you, my
creator, detest and spurn me,
thy creature, to whom thou art
bound by ties only dissoluble
by the annihilation of one of
us. You purpose to kill me. How
dare you sport thus with life?
Do your duty towards me, and
I will do mine towards you and
the rest of mankind. If you will
comply with my conditions, I
will leave them and you at peace;
but if you refuse, I will glut
the maw of death, until it be
satiated with the blood of your
remaining friends."
"Abhorred monster! fiend that
thou art! the tortures of hell
are too mild a vengeance for
thy crimes. Wretched devil! you
reproach me with your creation;
come on, then, that I may extinguish
the spark which I so negligently
bestowed." My rage was without
bounds; I sprang on him, impelled
by all the feelings which can
arm one being against the existence
of another.
He easily eluded me, and said--
"Be calm! I
entreat you to hear me, before
you give vent
to your hatred on my devoted
head. Have I not suffered enough
that you seek to increase my
misery? Life, although it may
only be an accumulation of anguish,
is dear to me, and I will defend
it. Remember, thou hast made
me more powerful than thyself;
my height is superior to thine;
my joints more supple. But I
will not be tempted to set myself
in opposition to thee. I am thy
creature, and I will be even
mild and docile to my natural
lord and king, if thou wilt also
perform thy part, the which thou
owest me. Oh, Frankenstein, be
not equitable to every other,
and trample upon me alone, to
whom thy justice, and even thy
clemency and affection, is most
due. Remember, that I am thy
creature; I ought to be thy Adam;
but I am rather the fallen angel,
whom thou drivest from joy for
no misdeed. Everywhere I see
bliss, from which I alone am
irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent
and good; misery made me a fiend.
Make me happy, and I shall again
be virtuous."
"Begone! I
will not hear you. There can
be no community between
you and me; we are enemies. Begone,
or let us try our strength in
a fight, in which one must fall."
"How can I
move thee? Will no entreaties
cause thee to turn
a favourable eye upon thy creature,
who implores thy goodness and
compassion? Believe me, Frankenstein:
I was benevolent; my soul glowed
with love and humanity: but am
I not alone, miserably alone?
You, my creator, abhor me; what
hope can I gather from your fellow-creatures,
who owe me nothing? they spurn
and hate me. The desert mountains
and dreary glaciers are my refuge.
I have wandered here many days;
the caves of ice, which I only
do not fear, are a dwelling to
me, and the only one which man
does not grudge. These bleak
skies I hail, for they are kinder
to me than your fellow-beings.
If the multitude of mankind knew
of my existence, they would do
as you do, and arm themselves
for my destruction. Shall I not
then hate them who abhor me?
I will keep no terms with my
enemies. I am miserable, and
they shall share my wretchedness.
Yet it is in your power to recompense
me, and deliver them from an
evil which it only remains for
you to make so great that not
only you and your family, but
thousands of others, shall be
swallowed up in the whirlwinds
of its rage. Let your compassion
be moved, and do not disdain
me. Listen to my tale: when you
have heard that, abandon or commiserate
me, as you shall judge that I
deserve. But hear me. The guilty
are allowed, by human laws, bloody
as they are, to speak in their
own defence before they are condemned.
Listen to me, Frankenstein. You
accuse me of murder; and yet
you would, with a satisfied conscience,
destroy your own creature. Oh,
praise the eternal justice of
man! Yet I ask you not to spare
me: listen to me; and then, if
you can, and if you will, destroy
the work of your hands."
"Why do you call to my remembrance," I
rejoined, "circumstances, of
which I shudder to reflect, that
I have been the miserable origin
and author? Cursed be the day,
abhorred devil, in which you
first saw light! Cursed (although
I curse myself) be the hands
that formed you! You have made
me wretched beyond expression.
You have left me no power to
consider whether I am just to
you or not. Begone! relieve me
from the sight of your detested
form."
"Thus I relieve thee, my creator, "he
said, and placed his hated hands
before my eyes, which I flung
from me with violence; "thus
I take from thee a sight which
you abhor. Still thou canst listen
to me, and grant me thy compassion.
By the virtues that I once possessed,
I demand this from you. Hear
my tale; it is long and strange,
and the temperature of this place
is not fitting to your fine sensations;
come to the hut upon the mountain.
The sun is yet high in the heavens;
before it descends to hide itself
behind yon snowy precipices,
and illuminate another world,
you will have heard my story,
and can decide. On you it rests
whether I quit for ever the neighbourhood
of man, and lead a hapless life,
or become the scourge of your
fellow-creatures, and the author
of your own speedy ruin."
As he said this, he led the
way across the ice: I followed.
My heart was full, and I did
not answer him; but, as I proceeded,
I weighed the various arguments
that he had used, and determined
at least to listen to his tale.
I was partly urged by curiosity,
and compassion confirmed my resolution.
I had hitherto supposed him to
be the murderer of my brother,
and I eagerly sought a confirmation
or denial of this opinion. For
the first time, also, I felt
what the duties of a creator
towards his creature were, and
that I ought to render him happy
before I complained of his wickedness.
These motives urged me to comply
with his demand. We crossed the
ice, therefore, and ascended
the opposite rock. The air was
cold, and the rain again began
to descend: we entered the hut,
the fiend with an air of exultation,
I with a heavy heart and depressed
spirits. But I consented to listen;
and, seating myself by the fire
which my odious companion had
lighted, he thus began his tale. |