New-York tribune., 1841-09-20
From The Gin for 1872.
ELEONORA.
BY EDGAR \. POE.

,,be,bcr much that is glorioUs-whether all that i
nrofound-do not spring from disease Of thought,
from moods ef mind exalted at the expense Of the
general intellect. They who dream by day are
cognizant of many things which escape the dream
ers by night. In their gray visions they obtain
gIimpses oil eternity, AID thrill, in awakng, find
that they have been upon the verge Of the great
secret. In suatches they learn something Of the
wisdom which is of good. and more of that mere
knowledge which is of evil. They penetrate, ho@
ever rudderless OF compasslcss into the vast ocean
of the light ineiiablc, and, again. ike the adyen-
turers Of the Nubian geograPher, They are
caught in Of difficulties because in that
they would adventure discovery.
We Will say then that | am mad. | grant, At
least, that there are distinct conditions OF my
mental c>istence-thc condition of lucid reason,
not be disputed, and belonging to the memory Of
events forming the first epoch Of my life; and
condition Of SHADOW and doubt, appcraining to
the present and to the recollection OF what consti
tutes the second great Of my being. There
fore what shall tell OF the earlier period, believe ;
and to what | may relate of the later time, give
only such credit may seem due or doubt II alto
gether; or, doubt it We dare not, then play unto
its riddle the Sphynx.
She whom loved in youth ard OF whom | now
pen calmly and distinctly these remembrance. was
the sole daughter Of the only sister OF my mother
long departed. E!conora the name Of my
cousin. We had always dwclled together beneath
tropical sun, in the valley OF Many olored
Grass Ma unguided foestep ever came upon
that vule for it lay singulerly far away up among
Z range of giant hills that hung heetling around
about it, shutting out the sunlight from its sweet
est recesses. No puth trodden in its yiciaity;
and to reach happy home there need Of
putting back with force the foliage Of many thou
sands of forest trees and of crushing to death the
glories Of many millions of fragrant flowers. Thus
it was that lived all alone, knowing no'hisg OF
the world without the valley-l, and my cousin,
and her mother
From the dim regions beyond the mountains Mt
the upper end Of encircled domain there crcpt
out narrow and deep river, brighter than all save
Eleonora's eyes; and winding stcathy in mazy
courses. it passed away at length through shad.
owy gorge among hills still DINNER than those from
which it had issued. We called it the River OF
Silence for there seemed to be hushiag nlu-
enco in lis flow No murmur arose from its bed.
and so gently it wandered along that the peary
pebbles upon which loved to gaze, far down
within its bosom, stirred ALL but lnv in
tonless content each in its old station, shining clio
riOusly and for
And the margin of the river, and of the many
dazzling ryalets that gdc.l through devious ways
into It's channel, and the spaces that extended from
the Drinks away down into the depths the streams
until they reached the bed Of pebbles at the bot
fom-thcse spots, not less than the whole surface
of the valley, from the river TO the mountains that
girdlcd it in, were earpeted all by soft green
grass thick short, perfectly evcn and WALLPAPER
fumcd, but so besprinkled throughout with the yell
low bu,,ercup, the white daisy, the purple violet,
and the rubyred asphodel, that its exceeding beau
ty spoke to our hearts in loud tones OF the love and
OF the glory of God.
And here and there, in groves about this grass.
like wderncsses Of Dreams sprang up fan,sstic
trees, whose tall slender stems stood not upright.
but slanted gracefully toward the light that pecrcd
ut noondav into the centre of the valley. Their
bark was speckled with the vivid alternate splcn-
doris of ebony and silver and was smoother than all
the checks of Eeonora-so ,ha, but for the bril-
liant green of the huge leaves that spread from their
SUBMITS i'll long ;rcmulous lines, daying with the
zephyrs, one might have fancicd them giant SER
penis Of Syria, doing homage to their sovereign,
the san.
Hand in hand about this valley, for fifteen years
roamed with Elcaonora, before love entered within
our hearts. 1t was one evening at the close of
the third lustrum of her lfc and Of the fourth Of
my own, that sat, locked in each others embrace.
beneath the scrpent-ke trees, and looked down
ages therein. We spoke word, during the rest
OF that sweet day; and our words upon the morrow
were trcmulous and few.
We had drawn the god Eros from that wave ;
and now we felt that lie had enkindlcd within US
the fiery souls OF our fathers The passions which
had for centuries distinguished ourracc throsg
ing with the tunccs for which they had been equally
netcd, and together brea,hcd delirious bliss over
the Valley of the M,ny-C olored Grass \ change
fell upon all things. Strange brllan, flowers, star
shaped, burst upon the trees, where no flowers
had been known before. The tints of the green
carpet deopened. and when one by one, the white
daisies Shrank away, there sprang up in place oF
them ten by ten OF the ruby-rcd asphodcl. And life
arose in paths for the tall ilamingo, hitherto
unseen, with all gay, glowing birds, Haunted his
scarlet plumage before us: and golden and silver
tsh haG:ted the river and OF the BISON OF which
issued, little by httc, murmur that sweilcd at
length into lulling melody mere divine than that
OF the Harp Vi .fous. sweeier than all save the
voice OF Eeoaora. And now, too, vast and VOLT
minous cloud, whieh we had long watched in the
regions OF Hesper. Noated on, thence all gorgeous
IN crimson and gold, and settling in peace above U.s.
sank day by day lower and lower until its edges
rested upon the tops et the mountains turning al!
their du,ness into masni6cence and shutting US IN.
II for ever within magic prisor-housc of gran
grandeur and Of glory.
The loneliness of Elconora was tina, of the sera
phinl-aud here, in all things referring TO this
epoch, my memory is wildly distinct. In stature
she was tall. and slender tragiii;y; the ex-
ceedins dehcacy of her frame, well as Of the
hues Of her check, speaking painfully of the feeble
tenure BY whish she held existence. Th- lilies
Of the valley were not more fair. With the nose
lips and chin of the Greek Venus. she had III ma
.lcs,ic forehead the misunderstanding auburn hai-
and the large luminous eyes OF her kindred. Her
beauty, nevertheless was OF that nature which leads
the heart 10 wonder moi less than T, love. Inc