uggling humanity would seize upon me. I was
even terrified to open my eyes, and gaze upon the eternal darkness by
which I was surrounded. Could I resist?--the idea was madness. What
would my strength avail against the closed coffin, and the pressure
above, below, and on every side? "No, I must abide the struggle, which a
few seconds more will bring on: I must perish deplorably in it. Then the
Epicurean worm will feast upon my remains, and I shall no longer hear
any sound, or see any sight, till the last trumpet shall awaken me from
slumber, and gather me together from the jaws of the tomb."

Meanwhile I felt the necessity of breathing, and I did breathe fully;
and the air was neither so close nor scanty as might have been supposed.
"This, however," thought I, "is but the first of my respirations: a few
more, and the vital air will be exhausted; then will the agony of death
truly commence." I nevertheless breathed again, and again, and again;
but nothing like stifling seized upon me--nothing of the kind, even when
I had made fifty good respirations. On the contrary, I respired with the
most perfect freedom. This struck me as very singular; and being
naturally of an inquisitive disposition, I felt an irresistible wish,
even in my dreadful situation, to investigate if possible the cause of
it. "The coffin must be unconscionably large." This was my first idea;
and to ascertain it, I slightly raised my hands, shuddering at the same
time at the thought of their coming in contact with the lid above me.
However, they encountered no lid. Up, up, up, I elevated them, and met
with nothing. I then groped to the sides, but the coffin laterally
seemed equally capacious; no sides were to be found. "This is certainly
a most extraordinary shell to bury a man of my size in. I shall try if
possible to ascertain its limits before I die--suppose I endeavour to
stand upright." The thought no sooner came across my mind than I carried
it into execution. I got up, raising myself by slow degrees, in case of
knocking my head against the lid. Nothing, however, impeded my
extension, and I stood straight. I even raised my hands on high, to feel
if it were possible to reach the top: no such thing; the coffin was
apparently without bounds. Altogether, I felt more comfortable than a
buried man could expect to be. One thing struck me, and it was this--I
had no grave-clothes upon me. "But," thought I, "this is easily
accounted for: my cousin comes to my p