, 1864-11-19
gbtra9p Qr1bn11e.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10. 1864.
THE FIRE FIEND.


One OF Poe,s. Experiments Toward
+ s'The Ruycn.o
The Assertion lasely made By an English critic
that Poe plagia1ized "The Raven" from the Per
slan, has brought out several letters, and among
them one from The t1agcdian Macready. Mr.. n.
says: -
- think the following fantastic poem "a copy Of
which I cncloee1 written By the poet whilst ex-
derful and beautiful piece Of mechanism ('The
Eeade!s fhe fis ffire Flcnd lie a,is Of the poem
threw 1t aside in disgust. Some months
finding 1t amongst bis papers, he sent 1t in letter
to afcnd labelled facehously, to be read By fire
in1mats9 aeaaantfd sf5 saps o
law OF Poe. and have frequently convcrsed with
her respecting The Rayen,' and she assured me
that he had tho idea In his mind Tor some ye0rs,
| and afk her opinion OF them frequently. making
| alterations and improvements according TO the
| mood he CHANGED to be In at the time.'
| The poem which Mr.. Macready transmitted to
the Morning Star Is very long, and contains, much
which is terrible, ghasuy, and too horrible for
print. Its author probably never designed that It
should See the light We give below the best
stenzas md the reader will not be slow to discover
| the presence OF that same weird, wonderfully
musical, eensuous harmony which has uade this
singular and cz1atic genius the head Of distinct
school Of 1iterature.
uTuK FIRE F1EEp-A NIGHTMARE
"1n the deepest death OF midnight, while the sad
stil ,sas @ iosting. iainuy echoed from the forest
ra'nty iss''efsas1y floating oers the sable waves
That we're thro' the midnight rolling, chafea and
T. hillony with the tolling-
In my chamber lay dreaming by the frelight'f
! trtpn
And nv W drcsms 1 were dreams forcshadowed on
heart fofedoo~ed to care; :
son the rcd hcath's rcddcst centre, from blaz
seem;s + ~ ,aa ssS grin Tits phantom when If
~ slqm1s5ogs n *Ss eyelids stEnfns' as
stu il that dread Vision seeming, turned my gaze
Hearth, and thcrei o Godi saw 1t. and from ont
spat ccaaeless, scething, hisslpg, bnbbling, CUR
Cling stream ef gofe'
"Then, - in Deaths seeming shadow, in the ic5
lay, Stricken, came hoarsc and hidcous mu1nu'
to my car
Came n,armnr like the murmnr Of assasstns II
Muttering, sM,she5. hieherl higherl am De
mon Of the Fire:
I'm Arch-Ficnd Of the Fire, and each blazing
And my He sweetest t. Incense is the blood and tear
mT victims weep.
"'How revcl on tho prniziei how / roar anon
the pinesl
10" saaa aa Tasn ams S% fSiaes hs village Ger the 'n''
And hear the shrieks of terror, with a life
every breathl
h0" each eehe e9ncfline Ii1n Iaiep ae4l 'aA'' AD
Down tic fel abyss Of ire, until higher, higher
Leap tMhs M bieh priests er my altar In their mezr
In the presence Of this hidcous creation of hi
Imagination be remained palsicd with fear, till
"-The martins, from the edges Of its nchen:llt
ded 1edges,
in torn files Marches,
Like routed army, struggling thEo' the serrie
TankE Of oak
"Thro' my ivy:frctted easements filtered In tFen
. utpus note.
FROM The ta!l e; md stately linden where roht
Qucrulous, Qaakcr.breasted robin, calling quain
Is for his mattel
With 1hs memory ] 5 Of that arc-lemon III my cent1
my }Zais? ssss interior mirror like the shadow Of
"Ah the aendish fire had smouldescd to whi
and form1ess heap.
And no knot Of oak was flaming as it famed upo
/ my sleep; ~
But around its very centre. where the demon tat
had thonc, ..
Forkcd shadows sceul'd tolingeE, pointing as vii
frectznl finger
oiGen,
And bowed and said, All power Is Of God,
God alone.'"