Случай Чарльза Декстера Варда

           Merrittalwaysconfessedtoseeingnothingreallyhorribleatthefarmhouse,butmaintainedthatthetitlesofthebooksinthespeciallibraryofthaumaturgical,alchemical,andtheologicalsubjectswhichCurwenkeptinafrontroomwerealonesufficienttoinspirehimwithalastingloathing.Perhaps,however,thefacialexpressionoftheownerinexhibitingthemcontributedmuchoftheprejudice.Thisbizarrecollection,besidesahostofstandardworkswhichMr.Merrittwasnottooalarmedtoenvy,embracednearlyallthecabalists,demonologists,andmagiciansknowntoman;andwasatreasure-houseofloreinthedoubtfulrealmsofalchemyandastrology.HermesTrismegistusinMesnard’sedition,theTurbaPhilosophorum,Geber’sLiberInvestigationis,andArtephius’sKeyofWisdomallwerethere;withthecabalisticZohar,PeterJammy’ssetofAlbertusMagnus,RaymondLully’sArsMagnaetUltimainZetsner’sedition,RogerBacon’sThesaurusChemicus,Fludd’sClavisAlchimiae,andTrithemius’sDeLapidePhilosophicocrowdingthemclose.MedievalJewsandArabswererepresentedinprofusion,andMr.Merrittturnedpalewhen,upontakingdownafinevolumeconspicuouslylabeledastheQanoon-e-Islam,hefounditwasintruththeforbiddenNecronomiconofthemadArabAbdulAlhazred,ofwhichhehadheardsuchmonstrousthingswhisperedsomeyearspreviouslyaftertheexposureofnamelessritesatthestrangelittlefishingvillageofKingsport,intheprovinceoftheMassachussetts-Bay.