The Mummy! quotes

I have long wished to write a novel, but I could not determine what it was to be about. I could not bear anything commonplace, and I did not know what to do for a hero.

Heroes are generally so much alike, so monotonous, so dreadfully insipid⁠—so completely brothers of one race, with the family likeness so amazingly strong

—“This will not do for me,” thought I as I sauntered listlessly down a shady lane, one fine evening in June; “I must have something new, something quite out of the beaten path:—but what?”—aye, that was the question.

Their heads were filled with words to which they affixed no definite ideas, and the little sense Heaven had blessed them with was lost beneath a mass of undigested and misapplied knowledge.

Conceit inevitably leads to rebellion.

The natural consequence of the mob thinking themselves as wise as their rulers, was, that they took the first convenient opportunity that offered, to jostle these aforesaid rulers from their seats. An aristocracy was established, and afterwards a democracy; but both shared the same fate;

but of these, the old Queen never troubled herself to think. She had provided against any immediate disturbance by choosing her own successor, and she left posterity to take care of itself.

Queen Claudia was one of those fainéant sovereigns of whom it is extremely difficult to write the history, for the simple but unanswerable reason, that they never perform any action worthy of being recorded.

But as she seldom did any harm, though she did not do much good, she contrived to escape either violent censure or applause; and in short, to get through life very decently, without making much bustle about it.

“But you must care for the world—the world must not be slighted! and as long as you live in it, you must conform to its opinions.

I don’t like to hear people say they don’t care for the world; when people pretend to scorn it, it is generally because they have done something to make it scorn them.

”

“The case is quite different. With us, the spur of despotism is scarcely felt; and the people, being permitted occasionally to think and act for themselves, are not debased and brutalized as the slaves of absolute power are in general.

Despotism, with us, is like a rod which the schoolmaster keeps hung up in sight of his boys, but which he has very seldom any occasion to make use of.

From such despotism as that of the Americans, however, Heaven defend us!”

It had ever been the prevailing weakness of Edric to believe his brother more beloved by Sir Ambrose than himself; and Father Morris knowing this, had framed his tale accordingly.

We easily believe what we fear

; and Edric, though not generally credulous, placed implicit faith in the father’s story, though it gave him acute anguish.

and whilst he openly affected to talk of his “poor house,” and his “humble attempts to entertain them,” etc. his heart covertly exalted in the grandeur around him, and his eyes sparkled with pleasure at the effect he saw it produced upon the strangers.

Nothing makes one so much disposed to be in a good humour with the world, as being in a good humour with oneself

; and nothing is so certain to produce that delightful sensation, as to see what we possess excite the admiration of others.

Coleman, at length consented to see his son, and not to insist upon his marrying Rosabella, until he had given the subject more mature consideration. After this concession, his astonishment and indignation, when he learnt the truth, may be easier conceived than described.

Nothing is so mortifying to a passionate man, as to find his intended kindness of no avail

; and Sir Ambrose, in the transport of his rage, vowed never to see his offending son again.

It was far otherwise with Sir Ambrose, who now began to repent, though secretly, of the unwarrantable severity with which he had treated his son.

It is a trite though undeniable observation, that we never know the real value of any possession till we have lost it

;

Edric informed her, on the morrow; when, condescending to express regret, and desiring to see him on his return, she wished him an agreeable voyage, and dismissed him.

It is one of the most glorious attributes of greatness, to have the power of giving great pleasure by saying very few words

; yet, as during their ride home, Lord Gustavus could talk of nothing but the graciousness of the Queen, upon which he was still expatiating, when the balloon stopped;

“Hush, hush!” interrupted the doctor; “I cannot bear to hear you mention it.

Oh, surely Job himself never suffered such a trial of his patience! In fact, his troubles were scarcely worth mentioning, for he was never cursed with learned servants!

”

Oh yes! I perceive we are getting lower; we will not lose a moment before we visit the Pyramid. But what a crowd of brutes are assembled to witness our arrival! they stare as though they had never seen a balloon before.

Egypt is certainly a fine country, but the inhabitants are a century behind us in civilization.

”

“These Pyramids are wonderful piles,” said the doctor, as he stumbled forward to meet him. “I really had no adequate conception of the enormity of their size. They did not even look half so large at a distance as they do now.”

“Immense masses seldom do,” replied Edric; compelling himself with difficulty to speak.

“True,” returned the doctor; “the simplicity and uniformity of their figures deceive the eyes, and it is only when we approach them that we feel their stupendous magnitude and our own insignificance!”

“Let us go,” whispered the doctor to his pupil, in a low, deep, and unearthly tone, fearfully different from his usually cheerful voice, Edric started at the sound, for it seemed the last sad warning of his better genius, before it abandoned him forever.

The die, however, was cast, and it was too late to recede.

Edric felt worked up to frenzy by the overwrought feelings of the moment. He seized the machine, and resolutely advanced towards the sarcophagus, whilst the doctor gazed upon him with a horror that deprived him of either speech or motion.

murmured he in a hollow whisper. “Am I then dead?” The next instant, however, he broke into a wild laugh of derision:—“Poor, feeble wretch!” cried he; “what do I fear?—Need I tremble, in whose bosom dwells everlasting fire? Let me rather rejoice.

I cannot be more wretched; why should I dread a change?

I welcome it with transport, and dare my future fate.”

Business was at a stand: people indeed gathered together in the shops, but it was only to whisper secretly to each other, strange mysterious stories of the late marvellous events, which they dared not breathe in public.

The extremes of ignorance and civilization tend alike to produce credulity, and the wildest and most improbable stories were as greedily swallowed by the most enlightened people in the world, as they could have been even by a horde of uncultivated barbarians.

The family of the Duke of Cornwall retired early to rest at the close of the eventful day we have been speaking of, hoping to lose in sleep the remembrance of the harassing events they had so lately witnessed.

returned the Duke, peevishly: “you think yourself so very wise, and that you know so much better than other people, only because you are always suspecting something wrong. Now, for my part, I think, as poor Dr. Entwerfen used to say, ‘

Incredulity is often as much the offspring of folly, as credulity

’!”

The Mummy took no notice of her agitation, but went on. “Let them not bind you by any promises. Prove yourself a free and independent sovereign.

Trample upon them, and they will crouch at your feet: but crouch to them, and they will trample upon you!

”

“My lords and gentlemen,” said he, “it is with feelings of considerable embarrassment that I rise to address you.

Everything that can be said, has been said; and everything that has been said, ought to have been said; and everything that ought to have been said, has been said. What, then, can there possibly be left for me to say?

“Let it not be supposed, however, by my saying this, that I have nothing to say for myself; on the contrary, I think everybody must allow I have said a great deal upon the said subject;”

and his agitation found an echo in the bosom of every auditor. The effect of his speech was instantaneous: cries of “Elvira shall be our Queen!” “Elvira forever!” rose in deafening tumult from the crowd, nor did there appear a single dissentient voice.

In fact, after all that can be said upon the subject, feeling is the only true eloquence.

The passions of the crowd were strongly excited: the fainting of the Duke; the agitation of Elvira; and the speech of Lord Edmund, who was the hero of the day, had absolutely driven them distracted.

“

Success is not always the test of merit.

How could I foresee the fainting of the Duke, and the agitation of Elvira? That timid silence said far more for her than words: if she had spoken, she would have had no chance.”

“Hear him! he blasphemes!” cried the soldiers; “gag him if he dare again to breathe such impiety!” and amidst their shouts and execrations, Edric and his tutor were dragged away.

Taught by this lesson that the liberty of the republican Spaniards did not extend to the tolerance of any opinions except their own, Edric and the doctor did not again venture to speak;

and they soon, to their infinite dismay, found themselves in the presence of the alcaide; who, however, luckily for our travellers, happened to be a man of some sense and liberality.

that he had orders to give—decisions to make; in short, that he had sufficient to occupy his mind, and prevent its dwelling upon the unpleasant circumstances that had just passed.

Occupation is the only sure remedy for grief.

The consolations of friends and hopes of religion may do much; but constant employment is the most effectual medicine for woe that the skill of man has yet been able to discover.

and, as they met his, they conveyed more pleasure to his heart than language could express. From this moment Pauline and Edric seemed to understand each other, for they felt there was a community of feeling between them.

The mute intelligence of the eyes sometimes says more than whole years of commonplace intercourse;

and thus Pauline and Edric felt like old friends, though they had scarcely exchanged half a dozen sentences.

Pauline’s eyes flashed joy—she felt she loved her father better than ever—she could have embraced him as he spoke, for the praise of Edric sounded as the sweetest music in her ears.

Strange that so slight an acquaintance should have produced so strong an emotion! but such and so inexplicable is love.

Pauline had now patience to hear the explanation of her father respecting Roderick. She even felt pleasure in the repetition of his exploits, for he was the friend of Edric; and she retired to rest—happy in herself, and contented with all the world;

“Cured him! Given him a zest for it, you mean,” replied Roderick. “

The appetite for travelling always grows with what it feeds upon;

and though the doctor may boast

“

Denial is one of the most dangerous symptoms,

” resumed Roderick, gravely. “Experienced physicians rarely think their patients really ill, till they are not conscious of it themselves. Let me feel your pulse.”

“

Well, then, don’t look so like a bashful maiden, disavowing her first attachment, with a ‘La, Pa! how can you think so!’

—I did not suppose you were capable of such affectation.”

and fancying her compliance to be the result of weakness, when it was, in fact, only produced by her natural candour and love of justice, the people became more outrageous and troublesome with every concession that was made to them.

Elvira’s intentions were excellent, but by unfortunately wishing to please everyone, she destroyed their effect.

This made her councils vacillating, and her measures uncertain: nothing indeed but the strength of mind and commanding genius of Edmund, joined to his complete devotion to her cause, could have prevented the ruin of her government almost in the moment of its formation.

and in short all that multifarious collection of paper, with which a monarch is sure to be surrounded who is said to be anxious to ameliorate the condition of his people, or who is unhappily reported to possess a genius for improvement.

Unfortunate is the man possessed of power, of whom such reports are current.

He is directly surrounded by projectors, each presenting a scheme more futile than that of his predecessor;

it was implicitly believed, for the lower classes are naturally fond of the marvellous, and, when there are two sides to a question, are very seldom disposed to err by judging too favourably; whilst the indignation it excited was unbounded.

In some cases, men are more tenacious of their prejudices than of their rights.

Thus, then, though the English, by consenting to the marriage of their Queen, had deprived themselves of the important right of electing their own Sovereign;

The listlessness of Elvira soon produced the most serious effects. A kingdom without a government, or rather a government without a chief, cannot long go on well.

It is like a ship at sea without a pilot, and it must founder upon the first rock which impedes its course.

When the vigour of government is from any cause relaxed, there are always plenty of persons ready to take advantage of the opportunity afforded them, to commit evil with impunity;

Edmund was inconsolable; he passionately loved his father, and could not bear his anger: besides, he felt that the reproaches of the old man were seconded by those of his own heart.

It is painful at any time to bear the censures of the world, but they fall with double weight when we know we have deserved them.

Edmund was dissatisfied with himself, and, consequently, disposed to quarrel with the world. He fancied it looked coldly upon him, and, in return, he affected to despise it.

she fancied it could enjoy no second summer; and she felt almost disposed to quarrel with all around her for displaying a gaiety in which she could not participate.

Nothing makes a broken heart feel more gloomy than to see all other objects look gay.

It turns from them in disgust, and feels its own misery doubled by the sight of their happiness.

“By the Holy Gods of my forefathers,” cried Cheops, “she is a brave girl! Yes, Clara, I will trust thee; and though we should encounter horrors fearful as those which menace the initiati in the dread Isian mysteries, I will not doubt thy courage.

A determined spirit, Clara, may subdue even Fate.

”

The title of Edmund was, indeed, now only an empty one. Rosabella alone exercised the power of a Sovereign, and her haughty temper and capricious tyranny made her universally detested.

Monarchs to be respected must be firm; and whilst they continue to inspire respect, they may sometimes venture to be tyrants.

But Rosabella was no longer respected; she was despised; and the Commons finding themselves oppressed, and their complaints completely unattended to, began to regret the gentle sway of Elvira. “She, at least,” said they, “treated us with kindness;

It was a shocking thing to see these two old men, their white hair streaming in the wind—their venerable features wrinkled with age, and their feeble frames tottering for support—fighting with all the vindictive fury of youth.

How fearful is the storm of passion! How vile the human heart when left to its own workings!

Every gentler feeling was extinguished in the breasts of the two veterans, and only brutal rage remained. For some time victory was doubtful;