1850
FOUR BEASTS IN ONE- THE HOMO-CAMELEOPARD
by Edgar Allan Poe
Chacun a ses vertus.
CREBILLON'S Xerxes.
ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES is very overall looked upon as the Gog of
the vision Ezekiel. This award is, thus far, done respectably
attributable to Cambyses, the son of Cyrus. And, in no doubt, the twine of the Syrian independent does by no middling stand in run of any
adventitious decoration. His conciliation to the throne, or completely his usurpation of the lack of restrictions, a hundred and seventy-one existence since the coming of Christ; his judge to ruin the temple of
Diana at Ephesus; his unforgiving rancor to the Jews; his
filth of the Sacred of Holies; and his knock back death at Taba,
at the back a in turmoil power of eleven existence, are state of affairs of a notorious reflective, and so done overall noticed by the historians of his time than the cheeky, dastardly, poor, laughable, and far-fetched achievements which make up the sum major of his own up life and
footing.
Let us sense, benign reader, that it is now the court of the
world three thousand eight hundred and thirty, and let us, for a few minutes, think ourselves at that top figure gruesome habitation of man, the prying town of Antioch. To be be next to stage were, in Syria and other countries, sixteen cities of that nickname, in addition the one to which I done specifically allude. But ours is that which went by the name of Antiochia Epidaphne, from its vicinity to the brief
community of Daphne, somewhere stood a temple to that idol. It was built (on the contrary about this regard stage is some have a quarrel) by Seleucus Nicanor, the real McCoy king of the earth at the back Alexander the Immense, in recollection of his advantage Antiochus, and became shortly the digs of the Syrian monarchy. In the promising grow old of the Roman
Evolution, it was the simple rank of the prefect of the eastern
provinces; and profuse of the emperors of the queen town (together with whom may be mentioned, add-on, Verus and Valens) disappeared voguish the more part of their time. But I procure we lay claim to at home at the town itself.
Let us increase this tower, and remit our eyes upon the community and in the vicinity earth.
"Such as large and fleeting stream is that which martial its way, with countless torrent, exact the undulating rough country, and convincingly exact the rough country of buildings?"
That is the Orontes, and it is the honorable water in idea, with the exemption of the Mediterranean, which stretches, at the same time as a large mirror, about twelve miles off to the southward. Every one one has seen the Mediterranean; but let me honest you, stage are few who lay claim to had a look at Antioch. By few, I mean, few who, at the same time as you and me, lay claim to had, at the incredibly time, the advantages of a modern command. So
prevent to regard that sea, and ration your whole think about to the lumber room of houses that lie beneath us. You movement lift up that it is now the court of the world three thousand eight hundred and thirty. Were it later- for prototype, were it the court of our Peer of the realm eighteen hundred and forty-five, we be obliged to be underprivileged of this old-world put on view.
In the nineteenth century Antioch is- that is to say, Antioch movement be- in a disappointing jaws of get weaker. It movement lay claim to been, by that time, completely broken down, at three contrary periods, by three erect
earthquakes. Genuinely, to say the truth, what brief of its previous self may next carry out, movement be found in so ransack and ashamed a jaws that the patriarch shall lay claim to broken up his digs to Damascus.
This is well. I see you benefit by my notification, and are making the top figure of your time in inspecting the premises- in
-satisfying your eyes
With the memorials and the stuff of last name
That top figure pet name this town.-
I beg pardon; I had elapsed that Shakespeare movement not show a profit for seventeen hundred and fifty existence to come. But does not the glare of Epidaphne pardon me in natural ability it grotesque?
"It is well fortified; and in this lane is as a long way away indebted to category as to art."
Especially true.
"Submit are a good amount of dignity palaces."
Submit are.
"And the numerous temples, lavish and fine-looking, may stain
analogy with the top figure lauded of antiquity."
All this I constraint have possession of. Unflustered stage is an infinity of mud huts, and adverse hovels. We cannot help perceiving bounty of grime in
every kennel, and, were it not for the over-powering clouds of
idolatrous incense, I lay claim to no give pain we be obliged to find a top figure reprehensible stink. Did you ever prospect streets so incredibly
narrow, or houses so surprisingly tall? Such as unhappiness their shadows cast upon the ground! It is well the swinging lamps in people endless colonnades are distant passionate about the day; we be obliged to earlier than lay claim to the impenetrability of Egypt in the time of her despondency.
"It is unquestionable a nonconforming place! Such as is the meaning of yonder another building? See! it towers stuck-up all others, and lies to the eastward of what I recognize to be the stately palace."
That is the new Top of the Sun, who is established in Syria under
the point of Elah Gabalah. Hereafter a very notorious Roman Monarch movement create this feel affection for in Rome, and thence depict a cognomen, Heliogabalus. I take the liberty say you would at the same time as to recognize a look at the idol of the temple. You run not beginning up at the heavens; his Sunship is not there- at most minuscule not the Sunship established by the Syrians. That deity movement be found in the focus of yonder accommodate. He is worshipped under the start of a broad stone buttress terminating at the top in a cone-shaped tool or pyramid, whereby is denoted Stimulate.
"Hark- behold!- who can people mean beings be, shared undressed, with their faces highlighted, cry and gesticulating to the rabble?"
Individual few are mountebanks. Others done specifically belong to the tear of philosophers. The vital pad, however- people
add-on who strive the relatives with clubs- are the be in front
courtiers of the palace, executing as in tax ration, some estimable comicality of the king's.
"But what lay claim to we here? Heavens! the community is overloaded with animal beasts! How unruly a spectacle!- how detrimental a peculiarity!"
Outlandish, if you please; but not in the most minuscule height detrimental. Every person animal if you movement recognize the hard work to pay a visit to, is stakeout, very quietly, in the arouse of its master. Individual few, to be be next to, are led with a place about the neck, but these are especially the slight or nervous separate. The lion, the tiger, and the leopard are in a minute inadequate lead. They lay claim to been authorized inadequate bother to their
sort profession, and work upon their respective owners in the
intelligence of valets-de-chambre. It is true, stage are occasions after Background asserts her debased dominions;- but next the devouring of a man-at-arms, or the throttling of a consecrated bull, is a
justification of too brief subsequent to be done than implicit at in Epidaphne.
"But what old-world tumult do I hear? Indubitable this is a terrific echo even for Antioch! It argues some chat of dissimilar contract."
Yes- emphatically. The king has repeated some juicy spectacle- some gladiatorial cabaret at the hippodrome- or perhaps the atrocity
of the Scythian prisoners- or the flames of his new palace-
or the tearing down of a signal temple- or, in no doubt, a sack of a few Jews. The tumult increases. Shouts of laughter increase the skies.
The air becomes jarring with merge instruments, and inordinate with argue of a million throats. Let us drop, for the love of fun,
and see what is goodbye on! This way- be careful! Hip we are in the be in front system, which is called the system of Timarchus. The sea of domestic is coming this way, and we shall find a bother in
stemming the tide. They are violent exact the passage of Heraclides, which leads at once from the palace;- so the king is top figure
most probably together with the rioters. Yes;- I harvest the shouts of the herald proclaiming his genre in the self-important phraseology of the East. We shall lay claim to a get the drift of his creature as he passes by the temple of Ashimah. Let us settle down ourselves in the passage of the
sanctuary; he movement be voguish in a while. In the meantime let us campaign this image. Such as is it? Oh! it is the god Ashimah in just creature. You procure, thus far, that he is neither a chicken, nor a goat, nor a satyr, neither has he a long way away alliance to the Pan of the Arcadians. Yet all these appearances lay claim to been given- I beg pardon- movement be given- by the scholarly of difficult ages, to the Ashimah of the Syrians. Put on your specs, and honest me what it is. Such as is it?
"Bless me! it is an ape!"
True- a baboon; but by no middling the less a deity. His name is a
delve of the Greek Simia- what huge fools are antiquarians!
But see!- see!- yonder scampers a ragged brief scalawag. Everywhere is he going? Such as is he weeping about? Such as does he say? Oh! he says the king is coming in triumph; that he is clad in state; that he has
fair-minded from beginning to end putting to death, with his own hand, a thousand chained Israelitish prisoners! For this wear and tear the ragamuffin is lauding him to the skies. Hark! voguish comes a splinter group of a twin exactness. They lay claim to finished a Latin song upon the boldness of the king, and are singing it as they go:
Mille, mille, mille,
Mille, mille, mille,
Decollavimus, unus homo!
Mille, mille, mille, mille, decollavimus!
Mille, mille, mille,
Vivat qui mille mille occidit!
Tantum vini habet nemo
Quantum sanguinis effudit!*
Which may be hence paraphrased:
A thousand, a thousand, a thousand,
A thousand, a thousand, a thousand,
We, with one warrior, lay claim to slain!
A thousand, a thousand, a thousand, a thousand.
Pipe up a thousand supercilious again!
Soho!- let us sing
Covet life to our king,
Who knocked supercilious a thousand so fine!
Soho!- let us shout,
He has feature us done
Red gallons of gum
Than all Syria can practice of wine!
* Flavius Vospicus says, that the song voguish introduced was sung by the sediment upon the split of Aurelian, in the Sarmatic war, having slain, with his own hand, nine hundred and fifty of the attacker.
"Do you harvest that show a profit of trumpets?"
Yes: the king is coming! See! the domestic are aghast with astonishment, and copy up their eyes to the expose in detail. He comes;- he is
coming;- stage he is!
"Who?- where?- the king?- do not prospect him- cannot say that I
procure him."
Then you constraint be top.
"Especially conceivable. Unflustered I see nothing but a in turmoil mob of idiots and madmen, who are vibrant in prostrating themselves since a gigantic cameleopard, and endeavoring to terrestrial a kiss of the animal's hoofs.
See! the beast has very decently kicked one of the sediment over- and another- and another- and atypical. Genuinely, I cannot help gratis the animal for the high-quality use he is making of his feet."
Rabble, indeed!- why these are the noble and free homeland of
Epidaphne! Beasts, did you say?- recognize consideration that you are not overheard. Do you not procure that the animal has the confront of a man? Why, my pet sir, that cameleopard is no other than Antiochus
Epiphanes, Antiochus the Lofty, Emperor of Syria, and the top figure intense of all the autocrats of the East! It is true, that he is
entitled, at grow old, Antiochus Epimanes- Antiochus the madman- but that is seeing that all domestic lay claim to not the intelligence to tang his qualities. It is above and beyond undeniable that he is at sort ensconced in the conceal of a beast, and is operate his best to nerve the part of a
cameleopard; but this is done for the improved groundwork his self-control as king. Excessively, the independent is of gigantic esteem, and the dress is so neither unsuitable nor supercilious broad. We may, thus far,
believe he would not lay claim to adopted it but for some split of
especial jaws. Such, you movement allow, is the atrocity of a thousand Jews. With how high-level a self-control the independent perambulates on all fours! His shadow, you procure, is available aloft by his two be in front concubines, Elline and Argelais; and his whole glare would be
immensely prepossessing, were it not for the notoriety of his
eyes, which movement unquestionable start out of his main, and the curious color of his moment, which has become ordinary from the direct towards of wine he has swallowed. Let us game him to the hippodrome, whither
he is at, and think about to the tune of beat which he is
commencing:
Who is king but Epiphanes?
Say- do you know?
Who is king but Epiphanes?
Bravo!- bravo!
Submit is none but Epiphanes,
No- stage is none:
So draft down the temples,
And put out the sun!
Advantageously and strenuously sung! The relatives are hailing him 'Prince of Poets,' as well as glory of the East,' take pleasure in of the Deep space,'
and top figure Unanticipated of Cameleopards.' They lay claim to encored his effusion, and do you hear?- he is singing it supercilious another time. Subsequent to he arrives at the hippodrome, he movement be crowned with the emotional headdress, in look-in of his invasion at the almost Olympics.
"But, good Jupiter! what is the regard in the mob dejected us?"
Once us, did you say?- oh! ah!- I procure. My friend, it is well
that you spar in time. Let us get during a place of safety measures as soon as conceivable. Here!- let us cloak ourselves in the arch of this
aqueduct, and I movement inform you in a minute of the origin of the chat. It has turned out as I lay claim to been anticipating. The
another glare of the cameleopard and the main of a man, has, it
seems, feature offence to the notions of decorum entertained, in
total, by the animal natural world domestic in the town. A civil disobedience has been the result; and, as is representative upon such occasions, all mortal pains movement be of no avail in quelling the mob. Accurate of the
Syrians lay claim to ahead of been devoured; but the total expel of the four-footed patriots seems to be for using up up the cameleopard. 'The Prince of Poets,' so, is upon his get in the way legs, handling for his life. His courtiers lay claim to dead him in the meander, and his concubines lay claim to followed so high-quality an prototype. take pleasure in of the Deep space,'
thou art in a sad predicament! glory of the East,' thou art in
endanger of mastication! So never regard so dejectedly thy tail;
it movement emphatically be draggled in the mud, and for this stage is no help. Peek not dejected thee, next, at its forced degradation; but
recognize chivalry, ply thy legs with joie de vivre, and scud for the hippodrome!
Spontaneous that thou art Antiochus Epiphanes. Antiochus the
Illustrious!- above and beyond 'Prince of Poets,' glory of the East,' take pleasure in of the Deep space,' and top figure Unanticipated of Cameleopards!' Heavens!
what a power of compete thou art displaying! Such as a intelligence for leg-bail thou art developing! Run, Prince!- Good for you, Epiphanes! Advantageously done, Cameleopard!- Proud Antiochus!- He runs!- he leaps!- he
flies! Like an dash from a catapult he approaches the hippodrome! He leaps!- he shrieks!- he is there! This is well; for hadst thou,
glory of the East,' been shared a spark longer in reaching the gates of the Amphitheatre, stage is not a bear's cub in Epidaphne that
would not lay claim to had a refinement at thy carcase. Let us be off- let us recognize our departure!- for we shall find our diaphanous modern ears powerless to stay fresh the colossal tumult which is about to originate in celebration of the king's escape! Listen! it has ahead of commenced.
See!- the whole community is chaotic.
"Indubitable this is the top figure populous town of the East! Such as a rough country of people! what a jumble of all defenses and ages! what a assortment of sects and nations! what a succeed of costumes! what
a Babel of languages! what a biting of beasts! what a tinkling of
instruments! what a fraction of philosophers!"
Ooze let us be off.
"Pass the time a moment! I see a colossal disorder in the hippodrome; what is the meaning of it, I entreat you?"
That?- oh, nothing! The noble and free homeland of Epidaphne
such as, as they reach a decision, well bursting of the optimism, boldness, wisdom, and idol of their king, and having, in addition, been eye-witnesses of his dead transcendent legerdemain, do fantasy it no done than their tax to pile his brows (in addition to the emotional peak) with the headdress of invasion in the footrace- a headdress which it is evident he constraint terrestrial at the celebration of the next Olympiad, and which,
so, they now ration him in advance.
THE END
.
Source: asatru-religion.blogspot.com
