The　Works　of　Edgar　Allan　Poe
  Volume　1　of　the　Raven　Edition
  IN　FIVE　VOLUMES
  VOLUME　I　　Contents
  Edgar　Allan　Poe；　An　Appreciation
  Life　of　Poe；　by　James　Russell　Lowell
  Death　of　Poe；　by　N。　P。　Willis
  The　Unparalled　Adventures　of　One　Hans　Pfall
  The　Gold　Bug
  Four　Beasts　in　One
  The　Murders　in　the　Rue　Morgue
  The　Mystery　of　Marie　Rog阾
  The　Balloon　Hoax
  MS。　Found　in　a　Bottle
  The　Oval　Portrait
  EDGAR　ALLAN　POE
  AN　APPRECIATION
  Caught　from　some　unhappy　master　whom　unmerciful　Disaster
  Followed　fast　and　followed　faster　till　his　songs　one　burden　bore
  Till　the　dirges　of　his　Hope　that　melancholy　burden　bore
  Of　〃nevernever　more！〃
  THIS　stanza　from　〃The　Raven〃　was　recommended　by　James　Russell　Lowell
  as　an　inscription　upon　the　Baltimore　monument　which　marks　the　resting
  place　of　Edgar　Allan　Poe；　the　most　interesting　and　original　figure　in
  American　letters。　And；　to　signify　that　peculiar　musical　quality　of
  Poe's　genius　which　inthralls　every　reader；　Mr。　Lowell　suggested　this
  additional　verse；　from　the　〃Haunted　Palace〃：
  And　all　with　pearl　and　ruby　glowing
  Was　the　fair　palace　door；
  Through　which　came　flowing；　flowing；　flowing；
  And　sparkling　ever　more；
  A　troop　of　Echoes；　whose　sweet　duty
  Was　but　to　sing；
  In　voices　of　surpassing　beauty；
  The　wit　and　wisdom　of　their　king。
  Born　in　poverty　at　Boston；　January　19　1809；　dying　under　painful
  circumstances　at　Baltimore；　October　7；　1849；　his　whole　literary
  career　of　scarcely　fifteen　years　a　pitiful　struggle　for　mere
  subsistence；　his　memory　malignantly　misrepresented　by　his　earliest
  biographer；　Griswold；　how　completely　has　truth　at　last　routed
  falsehood　and　how　magnificently　has　Poe　come　into　his　own；　For　〃The
  Raven；〃　first　published　in　1845；　and；　within　a　few　months；　read；
  recited　and　parodied　wherever　the　English　language　was　spoken；　the
  half…starved　poet　received　10！　Less　than　a　year　later　his　brother
  poet；　N。　P。　Willis；　issued　this　touching　appeal　to　the　admirers　of
  genius　on　behalf　of　the　neglected　author；　his　dying　wife　and　her
  devoted　mother；　then　living　under　very　straitened　circumstances　in　a
  little　cottage　at　Fordham；　N。　Y。：
  〃Here　is　one　of　the　finest　scholars；　one　of　the　most　original　men　of
  genius；　and　one　of　the　most　industrious　of　the　literary　profession　of
  our　country；　whose　temporary　suspension　of　labor；　from　bodily
  illness；　drops　him　immediately　to　a　level　with　the　common　objects　of
  public　charity。　There　is　no　intermediate　stopping…place；　no
  respectful　shelter；　where；　with　the　delicacy　due　to　genius　and
  culture；　be　might　secure　aid；　till；　with　returning　health；　he　would
  resume　his　labors；　and　his　unmortified　sense　of　independence。〃
  And　this　was　the　tribute　paid　by　the　American　public　to　the　master
  who　had　given　to　it　such　tales　of　conjuring　charm；　of　witchery　and
  mystery　as　〃The　Fall　of　the　House　of　Usher〃　and　〃Ligea；　such
  fascinating　hoaxes　as　〃The　Unparalleled　Adventure　of　Hans　Pfaall；〃
  〃MSS。　Found　in　a　Bottle；〃　〃A　Descent　Into　a　Maelstrom〃　and　〃The
  Balloon　Hoax〃；　such　tales　of　conscience　as　〃William　Wilson；〃　〃The
  Black　Cat〃　and　〃The　Tell…tale　Heart；〃　wherein　the　retributions　of
  remorse　are　portrayed　with　an　awful　fidelity；　such　tales　of　natural
  beauty　as　〃The　Island　of　the　Fay〃　and　〃The　Domain　of　Arnheim〃；　such
  marvellous　studies　in　ratiocination　as　the　〃Gold…bug；〃　〃The　Murders
  in　the　Rue　Morgue；〃　〃The　Purloined　Letter〃　and　〃The　Mystery　of　Marie
  Roget；〃　the　latter；　a　recital　of　fact；　demonstrating　the　author's
  wonderful　capability　of　correctly　analyzing　the　mysteries　of　the
  human　mind；　such　tales　of　illusion　and　banter　as　〃The　Premature
  Burial〃　and　〃The　System　of　Dr。　Tarr　and　Professor　Fether〃；　such　bits
  of　extravaganza　as　〃The　Devil　in　the　Belfry〃　and　〃The　Angel　of　the
  Odd〃；　such　tales　of　adventure　as　〃The　Narrative　of　Arthur　Gordon
  Pym〃；　such　papers　of　keen　criticism　and　review　as　won　for　Poe　the
  enthusiastic　admiration　of　Charles　Dickens；　although　they　made　him
  many　enemies　among　the　over…puffed　minor　American　writers　so
  mercilessly　exposed　by　him；　such　poems　of　beauty　and　melody　as　〃The
  Bells；〃　〃The　Haunted　Palace；〃　〃Tamerlane；〃　〃The　City　in　the　Sea〃　and
  〃The　Raven。〃　What　delight　for　the　jaded　senses　of　the　reader　is　this
  enchanted　domain　of　wonder…pieces！　What　an　atmosphere　of　beauty；
  music；　color！　What　resources　of　imagination；　construction；　analysis
  and　absolute　art！　One　might　almost　sympathize　with　Sarah　Helen
  Whitman；　who；　confessing　to　a　half　faith　in　the　old　superstition　of
  the　significance　of　anagrams；　found；　in　the　transposed　letters　of
  Edgar　Poe's　name；　the　words　〃a　God…peer。〃　His　mind；　she　says；　was
  indeed　a　〃Haunted　Palace；〃　echoing　to　the　footfalls　of　angels　and
  demons。
  〃No　man；〃　Poe　himself　wrote；　〃has　recorded；　no　man　has　dared　to
  record；　the　wonders　of　his　inner　life。〃
  In　these　twentieth　century　days　…of　lavish　recognition…artistic；
  popular　and　material…of　genius；　what　rewards　might　not　a　Poe　claim！
  Edgar's　father；　a　son　of　General　David　Poe；　the　American
  revolutionary　patriot　and　friend　of　Lafayette；　had　married　Mrs。
  Hopkins；　an　English　actress；　and；　the　match　meeting　with　parental
  disapproval；　had　himself　taken　to　the　stage　as　a　profession。
  Notwithstanding　Mrs。　Poe's　beauty　and　talent　the　young　couple　had　a
  sorry　struggle　for　existence。　When　Edgar；　at　the　age　of　two　years；
  was　orphaned；　the　family　was　in　the　utmost　destitution。　Apparently
  the　future　poet　was　to　be　cast　upon　the　world　homeless　and
  friendless。　But　fate　decreed　that　a　few　glimmers　of　sunshine　were　to
  illumine　his　life；　for　the　little　fellow　was　adopted　by　John　Allan；　a
  wealthy　merchant　of　Richmond；　Va。　A　brother　and　sister；　the　remaining
  children；　were　cared　for　by　others。
  In　his　new　home　Edgar　found　all　the　luxury　and　advantages　money　could
  provide。　He　was　petted；　spoiled　and　shown　off　to　strangers。　In　Mrs。
  Allan　he　found　all　the　affection　a　childless　wife　could　bestow。　Mr。
  Allan　took　much　pride　in　the　captivating；　precocious　lad。　At　the　age
  of　five　the　boy　recited；　with　fine　effect；　passages　of　English　poetry
  to　the　visitors　at　the　Allan　house。
  From　his　eighth　to　his　thirteenth　year　he　attended　the　Manor　House
  school；　at　Stoke…Newington；　a　suburb　of　London。　It　was　the　Rev。　Dr。
  Bransby；　head　of　the　school；　whom　Poe　so　quaintly　portrayed　in
  〃William　Wilson。〃　Returning　to　Richmond　in　1820　Edgar　was　sent　to　the
  school　of　Professor　Joseph　H。　Clarke。　He　proved　an　apt　pupil。　Years
  afterward　Professor　Clarke　thus　wrote：
  〃While　the　other　boys　wrote　mere　mechanical　verses；　Poe　wrote　genuine
  poetry；　the　boy　was　a　born　poet。　As　a　scholar　he　was　ambitious　to
  excel。　He　was　remarkable　for　self…respect；　without　haughtiness。　He
  had　a　sensitive　and　tender　heart　and　would　do　anything　for　a　friend。
  His　nature　was　entirely　free　from　selfishness。〃
  At　the　age　of　seventeen　Poe　entered　the　University　of　Virginia　at
  Charlottesville。　He　left　that　institution　after　one　session。　Official
  records　prove　that　he　was　not　expelled。　On　the　contrary；　he　gained　a
  creditable　record　as　a　student；　although　it　is　admitted　that　he
  contracted　debts　and　had　〃an　ungovernable　passion　for　card…playing。〃
  These　debts　may　have　led　to　his　quarrel　with　Mr。　Allan　which
  eventually　compelled　him　to　make　his　own　way　in　the　world。
  Early　in　1827　Poe　made　his　first　literary　venture。　He　induced　Calvin
  Thomas；　a　poor　and　youthful　printer；　to　publish　a　small　volume　of　his
  verses　under　the　title　〃Tamerlane　and　Other　Poems。〃　In　1829　we　find
  Poe　in　Baltimore　with　another　manuscript　volume　of　verses；　which　was
  soon　published。　Its　title　was　〃Al　Aaraaf；　Tamerlane　and　Other　Poems。〃
  Neither　of　these　ventures　seems　to　have　attracted　much　attention。
  Soon　after　Mrs。　Allan's　death；　which　occurred　in　1829；　Poe；　through
  the　aid　of　Mr。　Allan；　secured　admission　to　the　United　States　Military
  Academy　at　West　Point。　Any　glamour　which　may　have　attached　to　cadet
  life　in　Poe's　eyes　was　speedily　lost；　for　discipline　at　West　Point
  was　never　so　severe　nor　were　the　accommodations　ever　so　poor。　Poe's
  bent　was　more　and　more　toward　literature。　Life　at　the　academy　daily
  became　increasingly　distasteful。　Soon　he　began　to　purposely　neglect
  his　studies　and　to　disregard　his　duties；　his　aim　being　to　secure　his
  dismissal　from　the　United　States　service。　In　this　he　succeeded。　On
  March　7；　1831；　Poe　found　himself　free。　Mr。　Allan's　second　marriage
  had　thrown　the　lad　on　his　own　resources。　His　literary　career　was　to
  begin。
  Poe's　first　genuine　victory　was　won　in　1833；　when　he　was　the
  successful　competitor　for　a　prize　of　100　offered　by　a　Baltimore
  periodical　for　the　best　prose　story。　〃A　MSS。　Found　in　a　Bottle〃　was
  the　winning　tale。　Poe　had　submitted　six　stories　in　a　volume。　〃Our
  only　difficulty；〃　says　Mr。　Latrobe；　one　of　the　judges；　〃was　in
  selecting　from　the　rich　contents　of　the　volume。〃
  During　the　fifteen　years　of　his　literary　life　Poe　was　connected　with
  various　newspapers　and　magazines　in　Richmond；　Philadelphia　and　New
  York。　He　was　faithful；　punctual；　industrious；　thorough。　N。　P。　Willis；
  who　for　some　time　employed　Poe　as　critic　and　sub…editor　on　the
  〃Evenin