OhGod！-pityme，Charmion！-Iamoverburthenedwiththemajestyofallthings-oftheunknownnowknown-ofthespeculativeFuturemergedintheaugustandcertainPresent。
　　CHARMION。
　　Grapplenotnowwithsuchthoughts。To-morrowwewillspeakofthis。Yourmindwavers，anditsagitationwillfindreliefintheexerciseofsimplememories。Looknotaround，norforward-butback。
　　Iamburningwithanxietytohearthedetailsofthatstupendouseventwhichthrewyouamongus。Tellmeofit。Letusconverseoffamiliarthings，intheoldfamiliarlanguageoftheworldwhichhassofearfullyperished。
　　Mostfearfully，fearfully！-thisisindeednodream。
　　Dreamsarenomore。WasImuchmourned，myEiros？
　　Mourned，Charmion？-ohdeeply。Tothatlasthourofall，therehungacloudofintensegloomanddevoutsorrowoveryourhousehold。
　　Andthatlasthour-speakofit。Rememberthat，beyondthenakedfactofthecatastropheitself，Iknownothing。When，comingoutfromamongmankind，IpassedintoNightthroughtheGrave-atthatperiod，ifIrememberaright，thecalamitywhichoverwhelmedyouwasutterlyunanticipated。But，indeed，Iknewlittleofthespeculativephilosophyoftheday。
　　EIROS。
　　Theindividualcalamitywasasyousayentirelyunanticipated；
　　butanalogousmisfortuneshadbeenlongasubjectofdiscussionwithastronomers。Ineedscarcetellyou，myfriend，that，evenwhenyouleftus，menhadagreedtounderstandthosepassagesinthemostholywritingswhichspeakofthefinaldestructionofallthingsbyfire，ashavingreferencetotheorboftheearthalone。Butinregardtotheimmediateagencyoftheruin，speculationhadbeenatfaultfromthatepochinastronomicalknowledgeinwhichthecometsweredivestedoftheterrorsofflame。Theverymoderatedensityofthesebodieshadbeenwellestablished。TheyhadbeenobservedtopassamongthesatellitesofJupiter，withoutbringingaboutanysensiblealterationeitherinthemassesorintheorbitsofthesesecondaryplanets。Wehadlongregardedthewanderersasvaporycreationsofinconceivabletenuity，andasaltogetherincapableofdoinginjurytooursubstantialglobe，evenintheeventofcontact。Butcontactwasnotinanydegreedreaded；fortheelementsofallthecometswereaccuratelyknown。Thatamongthemweshouldlookfortheagencyofthethreatenedfierydestructionhadbeenformanyyearsconsideredaninadmissibleidea。Butwondersandwildfancieshadbeen，oflatedays，strangelyrifeamongmankind；and，althoughitwasonlywithafewoftheignorantthatactualapprehensionprevailed，upontheannouncementbyastronomersofanewcomet，yetthisannouncementwasgenerallyreceivedwithIknownotwhatofagitationandmistrust。
　　Theelementsofthestrangeorbwereimmediatelycalculated，anditwasatonceconcededbyallobservers，thatitspath，atperihelion，wouldbringitintoverycloseproximitywiththeearth。
　　Thereweretwoorthreeastronomers，ofsecondarynote，whoresolutelymaintainedthatacontactwasinevitable。Icannotverywellexpresstoyoutheeffectofthisintelligenceuponthepeople。
　　Forafewshortdaystheywouldnotbelieveanassertionwhichtheirintellectsolongemployedamongworldlyconsiderationscouldnotinanymannergrasp。Butthetruthofavitallyimportantfactsoonmakesitswayintotheunderstandingofeventhemoststolid。
　　Finally，allmensawthatastronomicalknowledgeliednot，andtheyawaitedthecomet。Itsapproachwasnot，atfirst，seeminglyrapid；
　　norwasitsappearanceofveryunusualcharacter。Itwasofadullred，andhadlittleperceptibletrain。Forsevenoreightdayswesawnomaterialincreaseinitsapparentdiameter，andbutapartialalterationinitscolor。Meantime，theordinaryaffairsofmenwerediscardedandallinterestsabsorbedinagrowingdiscussion，institutedbythephilosophic，inrespecttothecometarynature。
　　Eventhegrosslyignorantarousedtheirsluggishcapacitiestosuchconsiderations。Thelearnednowgavetheirintellect-theirsoul-
　　tonosuchpointsastheallayingoffear，ortothesustenanceoflovedtheory。Theysoughttheypantedforrightviews。Theygroanedforperfectedknowledge。Trutharoseinthepurityofherstrengthandexceedingmajesty，andthewiseboweddownandadored。
　　Thatmaterialinjurytoourglobeortoitsinhabitantswouldresultfromtheapprehendedcontact，wasanopinionwhichhourlylostgroundamongthewise；andthewisewerenowfreelypermittedtorulethereasonandthefancyofthecrowd。Itwasdemonstrated，thatthedensityofthecomet’snucleuswasfarlessthanthatofourrarestgas；andtheharmlesspassageofasimilarvisitoramongthesatellitesofJupiterwasapointstronglyinsistedupon，andwhichservedgreatlytoallayterror。Theologistswithanearnestnessfear-enkindled，dweltuponthebiblicalprophecies，andexpoundedthemtothepeoplewithadirectnessandsimplicityofwhichnopreviousinstancehadbeenknown。Thatthefinaldestructionoftheearthmustbebroughtaboutbytheagencyoffire，wasurgedwithaspiritthatenforcedeverywhereconviction；andthatthecometswereofnofierynatureasallmennowknewwasatruthwhichrelievedall，inagreatmeasure，fromtheapprehensionofthegreatcalamityforetold。Itisnoticeablethatthepopularprejudicesandvulgarerrorsinregardtopestilencesandwars-errorswhichwerewonttoprevailuponeveryappearanceofacomet-werenowaltogetherunknown。Asifbysomesuddenconvulsiveexertion，reasonhadatoncehurledsuperstitionfromherthrone。Thefeeblestintellecthadderivedvigorfromexcessiveinterest。
　　Whatminorevilsmightarisefromthecontactwerepointsofelaboratequestion。Thelearnedspokeofslightgeologicaldisturbances，ofprobablealterationsinclimate，andconsequentlyinvegetation，ofpossiblemagneticandelectricinfluences。Manyheldthatnovisibleorperceptibleeffectwouldinanymannerbeproduced。Whilesuchdiscussionsweregoingon，theirsubjectgraduallyapproached，growinglargerinapparentdiameter，andofamorebrilliantlustre。Mankindgrewpalerasitcame。Allhumanoperationsweresuspended。
　　Therewasanepochinthecourseofthegeneralsentimentwhenthecomethadattained，atlength，asizesurpassingthatofanypreviouslyrecordedvisitation。Thepeoplenow，dismissinganylingeringhopethattheastronomerswerewrong，experiencedallthecertaintyofevil。Thechimericalaspectoftheirterrorwasgone。
　　Theheartsofthestoutestofourracebeatviolentlywithintheirbosoms。Averyfewdayssufficed，however，tomergeevensuchfeelingsinsentimentsmoreunendurableWecouldnolongerapplytothestrangeorbanyaccustomedthoughts。Itshistoricalattributeshaddisappeared。Itoppresseduswithahideousnoveltyofemotion。Wesawitnotasanastronomicalphenomenonintheheavens，butasanincubusuponourhearts，andashadowuponourbrains。Ithadtaken，withinconceivablerapidity，thecharacterofagiganticmantleofrareflame，extendingfromhorizontohorizon。
　　Yetaday，andmenbreathedwithgreaterfreedom。Itwasclearthatwewerealreadywithintheinfluenceofthecomet；yetwelived。
　　Weevenfeltanunusualelasticityofframeandvivacityofmind。Theexceedingtenuityoftheobjectofourdreadwasapparent；forallheavenlyobjectswereplainlyvisiblethroughit。Meantime，ourvegetationhadperceptiblyaltered；andwegainedfaith，fromthispredictedcircumstance，intheforesightofthewise。Awildluxurianceoffoliage，utterlyunknownbefore，burstoutuponeveryvegetablething。
　　Yetanotherday-andtheevilwasnotaltogetheruponus。Itwasnowevidentthatitsnucleuswouldfirstreachus。Awildchangehadcomeoverallmen；andthefirstsenseofpainwasthewildsignalforgenerallamentationandhorror。Thisfirstsenseofpainlayinarigorousconstrictionofthebreastandlungs，andaninsufferabledrynessoftheskin。Itcouldnotbedeniedthatouratmospherewasradicallyaffected；theconformationofthisatmosphereandthepossiblemodificationstowhichitmightbesubjected，werenowthetopicsofdiscussion。Theresultofinvestigationsentanelectricthrilloftheintensestterrorthroughtheuniversalheartofman。
　　Ithadbeenlongknownthattheairwhichencircleduswasacompoundofoxygenandnitrogengases，intheproportionoftwenty-
　　onemeasuresofoxygen，andseventy-nineofnitrogenineveryonehundredoftheatmosphere。Oxygen，whichwastheprincipleofcombustion，andthevehicleofheat，wasabsolutelynecessarytothesupportofanimallife，andwasthemostpowerfulandenergeticagentinnature。Nitrogen，onthecontrary，wasincapableofsupportingeitheranimallifeorflame。Anunnaturalexcessofoxygenwouldresult，ithadbeenascertainedinjustsuchanelevationoftheanimalspiritsaswehadlatterlyexperienced。Itwasthepursuit，theextensionoftheidea，whichhadengenderedawe。Whatwouldbetheresultofatotalextractionofthenitrogen？Acombustionirresistible，all-devouring，omni-prevalent，immediate；-theentirefulfilment，inalltheirminuteandterribledetails，ofthefieryandhorror-inspiringdenunciationsofthepropheciesoftheHolyBook。
　　WhyneedIpaint，Charmion，thenowdisenchainedfrenzyofmankind？Thattenuityinthecometwhichhadpreviouslyinspireduswithhope，wasnowthesourceofthebitternessofdespair。InitsimpalpablegaseouscharacterweclearlyperceivedtheconsummationofFate。Meantimeadayagainpassed-bearingawaywithitthelastshadowofHope。Wegaspedintherapidmodificationoftheair。Theredbloodboundedtumultuouslythroughitsstrictchannels。Afuriousdeliriumpossessedallmen；and，witharmsrigidlyoutstretchedtowardsthethreateningheavens，theytrembledandshriekedaloud。
　　Butthenucleusofthedestroyerwasnowuponus；-evenhereinAidenn，IshudderwhileIspeak。Letmebebrief-briefastheruinthatoverwhelmed。Foramomenttherewasawildluridlightalone，visitingandpenetratingallthings。Then-letusbowdownCharmion，beforetheexcessivemajestyofthegreatGod！-then，therecameashoutingandpervadingsound，asiffromthemouthitselfofHIM；
　　whilethewholeincumbentmassofetherinwhichweexisted，burstatonceintoaspeciesofintenseflame，forwhosesurpassingbrilliancyandall-fervidheateventheangelsinthehighHeavenofpureknowledgehavenoname。Thusendedall。
　　Yea，thoughIwalkthroughthevalleyoftheShadow：
　　PsalmofDavid。
　　YEwhoreadarestillamongtheliving；butIwhowriteshallhavelongsincegonemywayintotheregionofshadows。Forindeedstrangethingsshallhappen，andsecretthingsbeknown，andmanycenturiesshallpassaway，erethesememorialsbeseenofmen。And，whenseen，therewillbesometodisbelieve，andsometodoubt，andyetafewwhowillfindmuchtoponderuponinthecharactersheregravenwithastylusofiron。
　　Theyearhadbeenayearofterror，andoffeelingsmoreintensethanterrorforwhichthereisnonameupontheearth。Formanyprodigiesandsignshadtakenplace，andfarandwide，overseaandland，theblackwingsofthePestilencewerespreadabroad。Tothose，nevertheless，cunninginthestars，itwasnotunknownthattheheavensworeanaspectofill；andtome，theGreekOinos，amongothers，itwasevidentthatnowhadarrivedthealternationofthatsevenhundredandninety-fourthyearwhen，attheentranceofAries，theplanetJupiterisconjoinedwiththeredringoftheterribleSaturnus。Thepeculiarspiritoftheskies，ifImistakenotgreatly，madeitselfmanifest，notonlyinthephysicalorboftheearth，butinthesouls，imaginations，andmeditationsofmankind。
　　OversomeflasksoftheredChianwine，withinthewallsofanoblehall，inadimcitycalledPtolemais，wesat，atnight，acompanyofseven。Andtoourchambertherewasnoentrancesavebyaloftydoorofbrass：andthedoorwasfashionedbytheartisanCorinnos，and，beingofrareworkmanship，wasfastenedfromwithin。Blackdraperies，likewise，inthegloomyroom，shutoutfromourviewthemoon，theluridstars，andthepeoplelessstreetsbutthebodingandthememoryofEviltheywouldnotbesoexcluded。TherewerethingsaroundusandaboutofwhichIcanrendernodistinctaccount
　　thingsmaterialandspiritualheavinessintheatmosphereasenseofsuffocationanxietyand，aboveall，thatterriblestateofexistencewhichthenervousexperiencewhenthesensesarekeenlylivingandawake，andmeanwhilethepowersofthoughtliedormant。Adeadweighthunguponus。Ithunguponourlimbsuponthehouseholdfurnitureuponthegobletsfromwhichwedrank；andallthingsweredepressed，andbornedowntherebyallthingssaveonlytheflamesofthesevenlampswhichilluminedourrevel。
　　Uprearingthemselvesintallslenderlinesoflight，theythusremainedburningallpallidandmotionless；andinthemirrorwhichtheirlustreformedupontheroundtableofebonyatwhichwesat，eachofusthereassembledbeheldthepallorofhisowncountenance，andtheunquietglareinthedowncasteyesofhiscompanions。Yetwelaughedandweremerryinourproperwaywhichwashysterical；andsangthesongsofAnacreonwhicharemadness；anddrankdeeply