Variorum Viewer

Vol. II Chap I

"It is with difficulty that I remember the æra of my cr being. All the events of that period appear confused & indistinct.

~~I know only that I felt a strange~~ A strange sensation ~~sea~~ seized me ~~and a it appeared~~ I saw, felt heard and smelt at the same time and it was indeed a long time before I learned to distinguish between the

~~^{^}various~~

operations of my various senses. By

degrees

I remember a stronger light pressed upon my nerves ~~and~~ so that I was obliged to close my eyes. Darkness then came over me and troubled me.– But hardly had I felt this when (by opening my eyes as I now suppose) the light poured in upon me again– I walked and I believe descended; but presently I found a great

~~difference~~

^{^}

alteration

in my sensations; before dark opaque bodies had surrounded me^{^}, impervious to my touch or sight – and I now found that I could wander on at liberty with no obstacles which I could not either surmount or avoid– The light be became

^{^}more

& more

opressive to me and the heat wearying me as I walked I sought a place where I could

perceive

^{^}recieve

shade. This was the forest near Ingolstadt,and here by the side of a brook I lay ~~weary~~ for some hours

^{^}

resting from my

fatigue

untill I felt tormented by hunger and thirst. This roused me from my nearly dormant state and I ate some berries which I found

^{^}

hanging

on the trees or lying on the ground – I slaked my thirst by the brook and then again lying down I was overcome by sleep

–

^{^};

It was dark when I awoke, I felt cold also and half frightened

^{^}as it were instinctively

on ~~seein~~ finding myself so desolate. Before I had quitted you^{^}r

appartment

on a sensation of cold I had covered myself with some clothes, but these were

~~not~~

^{^}in sufficient to secure me from the

dw dews of night. I was a

poor helpless

miserable wretch—I knew no & could distinguish no nothing

but

~~felt~~

^{^}

feeling

pain invade me on all sides ~~and~~ I sat down and wept. ¶

Soon a gentle light stole over the heavens and gave me a sensation of pleasure I started up, and beheld a radiant form rise am from among the trees. I gazed with a kind of wonder – It moved slowly; but it enlightened my path, and I again went out in search of berries. I was still cold when ~~on the ground~~ under one of the trees I found a huge cloak with which I– covered myself, and sat down on the ground. No distinct ideas occupied my mind all was confused ~~and~~ I felt the light, and

hunger

and thirst and darkness; innumerable sounds rung in my ears and on all sides various scents saluted me; the only object that I could distinguish was the bright moon and ^{^}I fixed my eyes

^{^}o

n th that with pleasure. Several changes of day and night passed and the orb of night had greatly lessened when I began to distinguish my sensations

^{^}

from each

other–

. I

~~first saw~~

^{^}

~~dis~~ gradually saw plainly

the clear stream that supplied me with drink and the

~~gre~~

trees that

~~covered~~

^{^}

shaded

me with their foliage. I was delighted when I first discovered that a pleasant sound

~~that~~

^{^}which

often

~~delighte~~ saluted my ears proceeded from the throats of ~~son~~ the little

~~anih~~

^{^}

winged

^{^}ni

mals who often intercepted the light from my eyes. I began also to see an with ~~forms~~ greater accuracy the forms that surrounded me and to perceive the boundaries of the radiant light which

~~overspeaed my dwelling~~ canopied me.–sometimes I tried to imitate ^{^}the pleasant songs of the birds but was unable— Sometimes I

~~also~~ wished to express my sensations in my own mode but ^{^}the unco^{^}uth and innarticulate sound ^{^}which broke from me ~~which~~ frightened me into silence again. ¶

The moon had dissapeared from the night, & again with a lessened form it

shewed

itself

~~again~~

while I still remained in the forest. My

~~ideas~~

^{^}

sensations

were by this time become distinct &

^{^}

my mind

received every day aditional

~~ones~~

^{^}ideas.

My eyes became accustomed to the light and to perceive objects in their right forms; I distin

^{^}guished the

~~insect~~ insect from the herb,

and by degrees one herb from a another – I found that the sparrow uttered none but harsh notes

~~and~~

~~^{^}but~~

^{^}whilst

~~that~~

^{^}

those of

the blackbird were sweet and enticing. ~~I had le~~ one day when I was oppressed by cold I found a fire that had been left by some wandering beggars and was over come with delight

^{^}

at the warmth

which I

ex- perienced from it.

In my joy I thrust my hand into the live embers but quickly drew it away

^{^}with a cry

^{^}

pain– How strange, I thought, that the same cause should at once produce such

~~delicious and such~~

~~opp~~ opposite

effects –I examined the materials of the fire, & to my joy found it to be wood – I quickly collected some branches but they were wet and would not burn. I was pained at this and sat still watching the o p peration of the fire. The wet wood I had placed near the heat

~~became dy dry~~

^{^}

dried,

and itself ~~became~~ became

~~hot~~

^{^}

inflamed.

I reflected on this, and by touching the various branches I discovered the cause and busied myself in collecti

^{^}ng

a great

~~deal~~

^{^}

quantity

of wood that I might dry it and have a ~~pel~~ plentiful supply

^{^}o

^{^}

of fire.

When night came on and

^{^}brought with it

sleep, I was in the greatest fear lest my fire should be extinguished I covered it carefully with ~~try~~ dry wood and leaves & then placed upon that wet branches and then spreading my cloak I

on the ground

^{^}&

sunk into sleep. ✗—I was morning when I —✗ It was morning when I awoke & my first care was to visit the fire –I uncovered it and th a gentle breeze quickly fanned it into a flame I observed this also and contrived a fan of branches which roused the embers when thy were nearly extinguished. When night again came I found with pleasure that the fire gave light as well as heat ~~and I often~~ and the discovery of this element was useful to me also in my

food–

for I found some of offals that the travellers had left had been roasted and tasted much more savoury than the berries I gathered; I tried therefore to dress my food in the same manner, placing them on the live embers– I found that the berries were spoiled by this o p peration and the nuts much improved. Food however became very scarce and I often spent a day searching in vain for a few acorns to assuage the pangs of hunger. When I found this resolved to quit the place which I had hitherto inhabited & to seek for

~~a place~~

^{^}

one

where the few wants I experienced would be more easily satisfied. In this emigration I

~~extremely~~

^{^}

exceedingly

lamented the loss of my fire–I had obtained it by by strange means and knew not how ^{^}to re produce it.

~~by myself~~

~~This~~

^{^}this deficiency

obtained my serious consideration for several hours but I was obliged to

~~leave it~~

relinquish all attempts to supply it, and wrapp

^{^}i

ng myself up in my cloak I struck across the wood towards the setting sun – I passed three days in these rambles and at length discovered the open country – A great fall of snow had taken place the night before and the fields were of one uni n form white the appearrance was disconsolate and I found my feet chilled by the cold

~~dab~~

damp

^{^}

substance that covered the

ground – It was about seven in the morning and I longed to obtain food and shelter. At length I perceived in a small hut which had b doubtless been built for the convenience of

~~the~~

some

sheph ^{^}e ard. This was a new sight to me and I examined the

~~stu~~

structure

of it with great curiosity.

~~and~~

finding the door

open I entered. An old man sat it in it, near a

fire

^{^}over

which he was preparing his

breakfast

he turned of on hearing a

noise &

^{^}

and

perceiving

^{^}me

shrieked loudly and quiting the hut ran across the fields with a speed ~~little~~ of which his debilitated form hardly appeared capable

^{^}.

His flight somewhat surprised me – but I was inchanted with the appearance of the hut. Here the snow and rain could not penetrate – the ground was dry ✗—and wind expelled —✗ and it

~~appeared~~

^{^}

presented

to me then as ~~heavenly and divine~~ exquisite &divine a retreat as Pandemonium appeared to the tr dominions of Hell

^{^}

after

thier suffocation in the

lake of fire. I greedily devoured the rem

^{^}n

ants of the shepherds breakfast which consisted of bread, cheese, milk & rhenish wine; the latter of which however I did not like. Then overcome by fatigue I lay down among some straw & fell asleep. ¶

It was noon when I awoke and allured by the ~~warth~~ warmth of the sun I determined to recommence my travels–&

~~wrapping~~

~~^{^}dep~~

^{^}depositing

the

~~rest~~

^{^}

remains

of the ~~herds bre~~ peasants breakfast in a wallet I found, I proceeded across the fields for several hours, untill at sunset I

~~came to~~

^{^}

arrived at

a village. How miraculous did this appear. The huts the neater cottages & stat

^{^}e

lier houses engaged my admiration by turns– The vegetables in the garden ^{^}s ~~allured me~~ and the milk and cheese that I saw placed at s the windows of some of the

cottages

—

^{^}allured me—

One of the best of these I entered– but I had hardly placed my foot

~~inside~~

^{^}

within

the door before the children shrieked and one of the

✗—

children —✗ women fainted, the village was roused some fled,—some attacked me untill grievously bruised by

~~sticks~~

^{^}

stones

and

~~all~~

many other kinds of missile weapon I escaped to the open country

and

fear fully took refuge in a low

~~hut~~

^{^}hovel

–quite bare and making a wretched appearance after the pal l aces I had beheld in the village.– This

~~hut~~

^{^}hovel

however adjoined a cottage of a neat & pleasant appearance, but after my late

^{^}

dearly

bought

experience

I dared not enter it. My place of refuge

^{^}

✗—

~~was the tool house and had not been~~

^{^}was not used ~~for~~ by the inhabitants of the adjoining dwelling and was entirely shut out from view by a pigstye on one side and a dunghill & small s pool on ~~the~~ another – the two others were formed by the wall of the cottage.—✗ Here

^{^}then I retreated and lay down happy to have found a shelter from the inclemency of the season & still more from the barbarity of man

___________________________

was constructed of wood,

^{^}

but

so low that I could with difficulty sit upright in it.

~~The~~

~~earth~~ No

wood however

was placed on the earth which formed the floor of the cottage but it was dry and although the wind entered by innumerable chinks I found it an agreable assylum from the snow &