Beckford, William (1760-1844)

An Arabian Tale, From an Unpublished Manuscript [Vathek]

London

J. Johnson

w. 1782, 1786, 1816

"He consoled himself, however, for this intruding and unwelcome perception of his littleness, with the thought of being great in the eyes of others; and flattered himself that the light of his mind would extend beyond the reach of his sight, and extort from the stars the decrees of his destiny."

His pride arrived at its height, when having ascended, for the first time, the fifteen hundred stairs of his tower, he cast his eyes below, and beheld men not larger than pismires; mountains, than shells; and cities, than bee-hives. The idea, which such an elevation inspired of his own grandeur, completely bewildered him: he was almost ready to adore himself; till, lifting his eyes upward, he saw the stars as high above him as they appeared when he stood on the surface of the earth. He consoled himself, however, for this intruding and unwelcome perception of his littleness, with the thought of being great in the eyes of others; and flattered himself that the light of his mind would extend beyond the reach of his sight, and extort from the stars the decrees of his destiny.
(p. 8)

Light

Reading

2 entries in ESTC (1786, 1791).

First published anonymously as An Arabian Tale, from an Unpublished Manuscript: with Notes Critical and Explanatory (London: J. Johnson, 1786). <Link to ESTC><Link to ECCO>

Text from William Beckford, Vathek: Translated from the original French, 3rd edition (London: Printed for W. Clarke 1816).

06/05/2013