INTRODUCTION. WILLIAM BECKFORD, the author of the following celebrated Eastern tale, was born in 1760, and died in the spring of 1844, at the advanced age of eighty-four years. It is to be regretted that a man of so remarkable a character did not leave the world some record of a life offering points of interest different from that of any of his contemporaries, from the peculiarly studious retirement and eccentric avocations in which it was chiefly passed. "Vathek," the superb "Vathek," which Lord Byron so much admired, and on which he so frequently complimented the author, "Vathek," the finest of Oriental romances by the pen of a "Frank," was written and published before our author had completed his twentieth year, it having been composed at a single sitting! For three days and two nights did the indefatigable author persevere in his task. He completed it, and a serious illness was the result. Few other literary men have ever equalled this feat of rapidity and genius. "Vathek" was originally written in French, of which its style is a model. The translation which follows is not by the author himself, though he expressed perfect satisfaction with it. It was originally published in 1786. For splendor of description, exquisite humor, and supernatural interest and grandeur, it stands without a rival in romance. Much of the description of Vathek's palace, and even the renowned "Hall of Eblis," was afterwards visibly embodied in the real Fonthill Abbey, of which wonders almost as fabulous were at one time reported and believed. Fonthill Abbey, which had been destroyed by fire and rebuilt during the lifetime of the elder Beckford, was on account of its bad site demolished, and again rebuilt under the superintendence of our author himself, assisted by James Wyatt, the architect, with a magnificence that excited the greatest attention and wonder at the time. The total outlay upon Fonthill, including the edifice, furniture, articles of virtu, &c., must have been enormous, not much within the million. A writer in the "Athenæum" mentions £400,000 as the sum. Beckford informed Mr. Cyrus Redding that the exact cost of building Fonthill was £ 273,000. The distinguishing architectural peculiarity of Fonthill Abbey was a lofty tower two hundred and eighty feet in height. This tower was prominently shadowed forth in "Vathek," and shows how strong a hold the idea had upon the author's mind. Such was his impatience to see Fonthill completed, that he had the works continued by torchlight, with relays of workmen. During the progress of the building the tower caught fire, and was partly destroyed. The owner, however, was present, and enjoyed the magnificent burning spectacle. It was soon restored, but a radical fault in laying the foundation caused it eventually to fall down, and leave Fonthill a ruin in the lifetime of its founder. Beckford was in person scarcely above the middle height, slender, and well formed, with features indicating great intellectual power. He was exactly one year younger than Pitt, the companion of his minority. The last years of his life were passed at Bath, where he united two houses in Lansdown Crescent by an arch thrown across the street, and containing his library, which was well selected and very extensive. Not far off he again erected a tower, a hundred and thirty feet high, of which the following description was given, at the time of his decease, by a correspondent of the "Athenæum": "Mr. Beckford, at an early period of his residence there, erected a lofty tower, in the apartments of which were placed many of his choicest paintings and articles of virtu. Asiatic in its style, with gilded lattices and blinds, or curtains of crimson cloth, its striped ceilings, its minaret and other accessories, conveyed the idea that the being who designed the place and endeavored to carry out the plan was deeply imbued with the spirit of that lonely grandeur and strict solitariness which obtains through all countries and among all people of the East. The building was surrounded by a high wall, and entrance afforded to the garden in which the tower stood by a door of small dimensions. The garden itself was Eastern in its character. Though comparatively circumscribed in its size, nevertheless were to be found within it solitary walks and deep retiring shades, such as could be supposed Vathek, the mournful and the magnificent, loved, and from the bowers of which might be expected would suddenly fall upon the ear sounds of the cymbal and the dulcimer. The building contained several apartments crowded with the finest paintings. The doors of the rooms were of finely polished wood, the windows of single sweeps of plate glass, the cornices of gilded silver; every part, both within and without, bespeaking the wealth, the magnificence, and the taste of him who had built this temple in dedication to grandeur, solitariness, and the arts." From the summit of this tower Mr. Beckford and he alone without a telescope - could behold that other tower of his youthful magnificence, Fonthill, on which he loved to gaze, with feelings which it would be difficult to describe. His eyesight was wonderful: he could gaze upon the sun like an eagle; and on the day that the great tower at Fonthill fell, he missed it in the landscape long before the news of the catastrophe reached Bath. In conclusion, we have only to add that our author in his lifetime had all that wealth can give, and in his grave his memory will retain that which no wealth can purchase. His genius yet lives, and "Vathek" will, whilst English literature lasts, never want readers, and, while good taste flourishes, admirers. AUTHOR'S PREFACE. THE original of the following story, with some others of a similar kind, collected in the East by a man of letters, was communicated to the editor above three years ago. The pleasure he received from the perusal of it induced him at that time to transcribe, and since to translate it. How far the copy may be a just representation it becomes not him to determine. He presumes, however, to hope that, if the difficulty of accommodating our English idioms to the Arabic, preserving the correspondent tones of a diversified narration, and discriminating the nicer touches of character through the shades of foreign manners be duly considered, a failure in some points will not preclude him from all claim to indulgence, especially if those images, sentiments, and passions, which, being independent of local peculiarities, may be expressed in every language, shall be found to retain their native energy in our own. |