the works of edgar allan poe-1-第31节

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The　faculty　of　re…solution　is　possibly　much　invigorated　by　
mathematical　study；　and　especially　by　that　highest　branch　of　it　
which；　unjustly；　and　merely　on　account　of　its　retrograde　operations；　
has　been　called；　as　if　_par　excellence_；　analysis。　Yet　to　calculate　
is　not　in　itself　to　analyse。　A　chess…player；　for　example；　does　the　
one　without　effort　at　the　other。　It　follows　that　the　game　of　chess；　
in　its　effects　upon　mental　character；　is　greatly　misunderstood。　I　am　
not　now　writing　a　treatise；　but　simply　prefacing　a　somewhat　peculiar　
narrative　by　observations　very　much　at　random；　I　will；　therefore；　
take　occasion　to　assert　that　the　higher　powers　of　the　reflective　
intellect　are　more　decidedly　and　more　usefully　tasked　by　the　
unostentatious　game　of　draughts　than　by　a　the　elaborate　frivolity　of　
chess。　In　this　latter；　where　the　pieces　have　different　and　_bizarre_　
motions；　with　various　and　variable　values；　what　is　only　complex　is　
mistaken　（a　not　unusual　error）　for　what　is　profound。　The　_attention_　
is　here　called　powerfully　into　play。　If　it　flag　for　an　instant；　an　
oversight　is　committed　resulting　in　injury　or　defeat。　The　possible　
moves　being　not　only　manifold　but　involute；　the　chances　of　such　
oversights　are　multiplied；　and　in　nine　cases　out　of　ten　it　is　the　
more　concentrative　rather　than　the　more　acute　player　who　conquers。　In　
draughts；　on　the　contrary；　where　the　moves　are　_unique_　and　have　but　
little　variation；　the　probabilities　of　inadvertence　are　diminished；　
and　the　mere　attention　being　left　comparatively　unemployed；　what　
advantages　are　obtained　by　either　party　are　obtained　by　superior　
_acumen_。　To　be　less　abstract　…　Let　us　suppose　a　game　of　draughts　
where　the　pieces　are　reduced　to　four　kings；　and　where；　of　course；　no　
oversight　is　to　be　expected。　It　is　obvious　that　here　the　victory　can　
be　decided　（the　players　being　at　all　equal）　only　by　some　_recherch開　
movement；　the　result　of　some　strong　exertion　of　the　intellect。　
Deprived　of　ordinary　resources；　the　analyst　throws　himself　into　the　
spirit　of　his　opponent；　identifies　himself　therewith；　and　not　
unfrequently　sees　thus；　at　a　glance；　the　sole　methods　（sometime　
indeed　absurdly　simple　ones）　by　which　he　may　seduce　into　error　or　
hurry　into　miscalculation。

Whist　has　long　been　noted　for　its　influence　upon　what　is　termed　the　
calculating　power；　and　men　of　the　highest　order　of　intellect　have　
been　known　to　take　an　apparently　unaccountable　delight　in　it；　while　
eschewing　chess　as　frivolous。　Beyond　doubt　there　is　nothing　of　a　
similar　nature　so　greatly　tasking　the　faculty　of　analysis。　The　best　
chess…player　in　Christendom　_may_　be　little　more　than　the　best　player　
of　chess；　but　proficiency　in　whist　implies　capacity　for　success　in　
all　those　more　important　undertakings　where　mind　struggles　with　mind。　
When　I　say　proficiency；　I　mean　that　perfection　in　the　game　which　
includes　a　comprehension　of　_all_　the　sources　whence　legitimate　
advantage　may　be　derived。　These　are　not　only　manifold　but　multiform；　
and　lie　frequently　among　recesses　of　thought　altogether　inaccessible　
to　the　ordinary　understanding。　To　observe　attentively　is　to　remember　
distinctly；　and；　so　far；　the　concentrative　chess…player　will　do　very　
well　at　whist；　while　the　rules　of　Hoyle　（themselves　based　upon　the　
mere　mechanism　of　the　game）　are　sufficiently　and　generally　
comprehensible。　Thus　to　have　a　retentive　memory；　and　to　proceed　by　
〃the　book；〃　are　points　commonly　regarded　as　the　sum　total　of　good　
playing。　But　it　is　in　matters　beyond　the　limits　of　mere　rule　that　the　
skill　of　the　analyst　is　evinced。　He　makes；　in　silence；　a　host　of　
observations　and　inferences。　So；　perhaps；　do　his　companions；　and　the　
difference　in　the　extent　of　the　information　obtained；　lies　not　so　
much　in　the　validity　of　the　inference　as　in　the　quality　of　the　
observation。　The　necessary　knowledge　is　that　of　_what_　to　observe。　
Our　player　confines　himself　not　at　all；　nor；　because　the　game　is　the　
object；　does　he　reject　deductions　from　things　external　to　the　game。　
He　examines　the　countenance　of　his　partner；　comparing　it　carefully　
with　that　of　each　of　his　opponents。　He　considers　the　mode　of　
assorting　the　cards　in　each　hand；　often　counting　trump　by　trump；　and　
honor　by　honor；　through　the　glances　bestowed　by　their　holders　upon　
each。　He　notes　every　variation　of　face　as　the　play　progresses；　
gathering　a　fund　of　thought　from　the　differences　in　the　expression　of　
certainty；　of　surprise；　of　triumph；　or　of　chagrin。　From　the　manner　of　
gathering　up　a　trick　he　judges　whether　the　person　taking　it　can　make　
another　in　the　suit。　He　recognises　what　is　played　through　feint；　by　
the　air　with　which　it　is　thrown　upon　the　table。　A　casual　or　
inadvertent　word；　the　accidental　dropping　or　turning　of　a　card；　with　
the　accompanying　anxiety　or　carelessness　in　regard　to　its　
concealment；　the　counting　of　the　tricks；　with　the　order　of　their　
arrangement；　embarrassment；　hesitation；　eagerness　or　trepidation　…　
all　afford；　to　his　apparently　intuitive　perception；　indications　of　
the　true　state　of　affairs。　The　first　two　or　three　rounds　having　been　
played；　he　is　in　full　possession　of　the　contents　of　each　hand；　and　
thenceforward　puts　down　his　cards　with　as　absolute　a　precision　of　
purpose　as　if　the　rest　of　the　party　had　turned　outward　the　faces　of　
their　own。

The　analytical　power　should　not　be　confounded　with　ample　ingenuity；　
for　while　the　analyst　is　necessarily　ingenious；　the　ingenious　man　is　
often　remarkably　incapable　of　analysis。　The　constructive　or　combining　
power；　by　which　ingenuity　is　usually　manifested；　and　to　which　the　
phrenologists　（I　believe　erroneously）　have　assigned　a　separate　organ；　
supposing　it　a　primitive　faculty；　has　been　so　frequently　seen　in　
those　whose　intellect　bordered　otherwise　upon　idiocy；　as　to　have　
attracted　general　observation　among　writers　on　morals。　Between　
ingenuity　and　the　analytic　ability　there　exists　a　difference　far　
greater；　indeed；　than　that　between　the　fancy　and　the　imagination；　but　
of　a　character　very　strictly　analogous。　It　will　be　found；　in　fact；　
that　the　ingenious　are　always　fanciful；　and　the　_truly_　imaginative　
never　otherwise　than　analytic。

The　narrative　which　follows　will　appear　to　the　reader　somewhat　in　the　
light　of　a　commentary　upon　the　propositions　just　advanced。

Residing　in　Paris　during　the　spring　and　part　of　the　summer　of　18；　I　
there　became　acquainted　with　a　Monsieur　C。　Auguste　Dupin。　This　young　
gentleman　was　of　an　excellent　…　indeed　of　an　illustrious　family；　but；　
by　a　variety　of　untoward　events；　had　been　reduced　to　such　poverty　
that　the　energy　of　his　character　succumbed　beneath　it；　and　he　ceased　
to　bestir　himself　in　the　world；　or　to　care　for　the　retrieval　of　his　
fortunes。　By　courtesy　of　his　creditors；　there　still　remained　in　his　
possession　a　small　remnant　of　his　patrimony；　and；　upon　the　income　
arising　from　this；　he　managed；　by　means　of　a　rigorous　economy；　to　
procure　the　necessaries　of　life；　without　troubling　himself　about　its　
superfluities。　Books；　indeed；　were　his　sole　luxuries；　and　in　Paris　
these　are　easily　obtained。

Our　first　meeting　was　at　an　obscure　library　in　the　Rue　Montmartre；　
where　the　accident　of　our　both　being　in　search　of　the　same　very　rare　
and　very　remarkable　volume；　brought　us　into　closer　communion。　We　saw　
each　other　again　and　again。　I　was　deeply　interested　in　the　little　
family　history　which　he　detailed　to　me　with　all　that　candor　which　a　
Frenchman　indulges　whenever　mere　self　is　his　theme。　I　was　astonished；　
too；　at　the　vast　extent　of　his　reading；　and；　above　all；　I　felt　my　
soul　enkindled　within　me　by　the　wild　fervor；　and　the　vivid　freshness　
of　his　imagination。　Seeking　in　Paris　the　objects　I　then　sought；　I　
felt　that　the　societyof　such　a　man　would　be　to　me　a　treasure　beyond　
price；　and　this　feeling　I　frankly　confided　to　him。　It　was　at　length　
arranged　that　we　should　live　together　during　my　stay　in　the　city；　and　
as　my　worldly　circumstances　were　somewhat　less　embarrassed　than　his　
own；　I　was　permitted　to　be　at　the　expense　of　renting；　and　furnishing　
in　a　style　which　suited　the　rather　fantastic　gloom　of　our　common　
temper；　a　time…eaten　and　grotesque　mansion；　long　deserted　through　
superstitions　into　which　we　did　not　inquire；　and　tottering　to　its　
fall　in　a　retired　and　desolate　portion　of　the　Faubourg　St。　Germain。

Had　the　routine　of　our　life　at　this　place　been　known　to　the　world；　we　
should　have　been　regarded　as　madmen　…　although；　perhaps；　as　madmen　of　
a　harmless　nature。　Our　seclusion　was　perfect。　We　admitted　no　
visitors。　Indeed　the　locality　of　our　retirement　had　been　carefully　
kept　a　secret　from　my　own　former　associates；　and　it　had　been　many　
years　since　Dupin　had　ceased　to　know　or　be　known　in　Paris。　We　existed　
within　ourselves　alone。

It　was　a　freak　of　fancy　in　my　friend　（for　what　else　shall　I　call　it？）　
to　be　enamored　of　the　Night　for　her　own　sake；　and　into　this　
_bizarrerie_；　as　into　all　his　others；　I　quietly　fell；　giving　myself　
up　to　his　wild　whims　with　a　perfect　_abandon_。　The　sable　divinity　
would　not　herself　dwell　with　us　always；　but　we　could　counterfeit　her　
presence。　At　the　first　dawn　of　the　morning　we　closed　all　the　messy　
shutters