, of the existence of the external
world, every thing around him appearing like the creations of a
dream--mere shadows with whom he could have no sympathy. There seemed,
in fact, to be but two beings in the universe--himself and Lucifer; and
he felt that he was engaged in a struggle which must terminate the
existence of the one or the other. When he succeeded in freeing himself
for a moment from the fangs of this vision, and could repel it to some
little distance from his mental eye, he perceived, as distinctly as
possible, its illusory nature, and wondered at the power it exerted over
his imagination. If, however, he obtained a momentary respite of this
kind, it was not, as in the case of Prometheus (whose vulture was of the
same brood as his demon), by night, but at sunrise, when the god of the
Magi stepped, as it were, upon his throne to receive the homage of the
earth. The hour of repose, as night is to the fortunate and the happy,
was to him the hour of torture; and he daily lingered about the
sea-shore, anxiously watching the setting sun, and trembling more and
more as the glorious luminary approached the termination of his career
and disappeared behind the purple waves. As soon as darkness descended
upon the earth, Lucifer, if absent before, invariably alighted with
it, and stood beside his victim, who clapping his hands upon his eyes,
would fly with a howl or a shriek towards the habitations of men.

At length he became convinced that his last hour drew near; and he
blessed God that his struggle was about to terminate. As soon as this
idea took possession of his mind, he grew a little more tranquil; and,
excepting when he thought of Beatrice, awaited the final hour with
a kind of satisfaction. In this pious mood of mind, he one evening
wandered to his usual haunt on the seaside. The sun had set--the
moon and all the stars were in heaven--and the earth and the sea
were sleeping in the silver light. He set him down on a lofty rock
overhanging the sea, which was deep and still in that part; and with the
waves on his left, and the earth in all its loveliness on his right, he
raised his eyes towards heaven, and was absorbed in devotion. At that
moment, a face of unutterable beauty presented itself in the bright
moonlight before him. With a single glance, he discovered it was that
of Lucifer, but softened to angelic loveliness. Uttering a wild and
piercing shriek, he started from it towards the edge of the precipice.