The Mysteries of Udolpho

I think it is the weakness of mine eyes,

That shapes this monstrous apparition.

It comes upon me!

JULIUS CAESAR

Daylight dispelled from Emily's mind the glooms of superstition, but

not those of apprehension. The Count Morano was the first image, that

occurred to her waking thoughts, and then came a train of anticipated

evils, which she could neither conquer, nor avoid. She rose, and, to

relieve her mind from the busy ideas, that tormented it, compelled

herself to notice external objects. From her casement she looked out

upon the wild grandeur of the scene, closed nearly on all sides by

alpine steeps, whose tops, peeping over each other, faded from the eye

in misty hues, while the promontories below were dark with woods, that

swept down to their base, and stretched along the narrow vallies.

The rich pomp of these woods was particularly delightful to Emily; and she

viewed with astonishment the fortifications of the castle spreading

along a vast extent of rock, and now partly in decay, the grandeur of

the ramparts below, and the towers and battlements and various features

of the fabric above. From these her sight wandered over the cliffs and

woods into the valley, along which foamed a broad and rapid stream, seen

falling among the crags of an opposite mountain, now flashing in the

sun-beams, and now shadowed by over-arching pines, till it was entirely

concealed by their thick foliage. Again it burst from beneath this

darkness in one broad sheet of foam, and fell thundering into the vale.

Nearer, towards the west, opened the mountain-vista, which Emily had

viewed with such sublime emotion, on her approach to the castle: a thin

dusky vapour, that rose from the valley, overspread its features with a

sweet obscurity.

As this ascended and caught the sun-beams, it kindled

into a crimson tint, and touched with exquisite beauty the woods and

cliffs, over which it passed to the summit of the mountains; then, as

the veil drew up, it was delightful to watch the gleaming objects, that

progressively disclosed themselves in the valley--the green turf--dark

woods--little rocky recesses--a few peasants' huts--the foaming

stream--a herd of cattle, and various images of pastoral beauty. Then,

the pine-forests brightened, and then the broad breast of the mountains,

till, at length, the mist settled round their summit, touching them with

a ruddy glow. The features of the vista now appeared distinctly, and the

broad deep shadows, that fell from the lower cliffs, gave strong effect

to the streaming splendour above; while the mountains, gradually sinking

in the perspective, appeared to shelve into the Adriatic sea, for such

Emily imagined to be the gleam of blueish light, that terminated the

view. Thus she endeavoured to amuse her fancy, and was not unsuccessful.

The breezy freshness of the morning, too, revived her. She raised her

thoughts in prayer, which she felt always most disposed to do, when

viewing the sublimity of nature, and her mind recovered its strength.