PROLOGUE.
My name was Johannes Llewellyn Llongollyn Drury. I was named Llewellynat my mother's desire, out of respect to her father, Dr. Evan Llewellyn,the scientist and speculative philosopher, well known to curiousstudents as the author of various rare works on occult subjects. Theother given names were ancestral also, but when I reached the age ofappreciation, they naturally became distasteful; so it is that in earlyyouth I dropped the first and third of these cumbersome words, andretained only the second Christian name. While perhaps the reader ofthese lines may regard this cognomen with less favor than either of theothers, still I liked it, as it was the favorite of my mother, whoalways used the name in full; the world, however, contracted Llewellynto Lew, much to the distress of my dear mother, who felt aggrieved atthe liberty. After her death I decided to move to a western city, andalso determined, out of respect to her memory, to select from andrearrange the letters of my several names, and construct therefrom threeshort, terse words, which would convey to myself only, the resemblanceof my former name. Hence it is that the Cincinnati Directory does notrecord my self-selected name, which I have no reason to bring before thepublic. To the reader my name is Llewellyn Drury. I might add that myancestors were among the early settlers of what is now New York City,and were direct descendants of the early Welsh kings; but these mattersdo not concern the reader, and it is not of them that I now choose towrite. My object in putting down these preliminary paragraphs is simplyto assure the reader of such facts, and such only, as may give himconfidence in my personal sincerity and responsibility, in order that hemay with a right understanding read the remarkable statements that occurin the succeeding chapters.
The story I am about to relate is very direct, and some parts of it arevery strange, not to say marvelous; but not on account of itsstrangeness alone do I ask for the narrative a reading;--that were meretrifling. What is here set down happened as recorded, but I shall notattempt to explain things which even to myself are enigmatical. Let thecandid reader read the story as I have told it, and make out of it whathe can, or let him pass the page by unread--I shall not insist onclaiming his further attention. Only, if he does read, I beg him to readwith an open mind, without prejudice and without predilection.
Who or what I am as a participant in this work is of small importance. Imention my history only for the sake of frankness and fairness. I havenothing to gain by issuing the volume. Neither do I court praise norshun censure. My purpose is to tell the truth.
Early in the fifties I took up my residence in the Queen City, andthough a very young man, found the employment ready that a friend hadobtained for me with a manufacturing firm engaged in a large andcomplicated business. My duties were varied and peculiar, of such anature as to tax body and mind to the utmost, and for several years Iserved in the most exacting of business details. Besides the labor whichmy vocation entailed, with its manifold and multiform perplexities, Ivoluntarily imposed upon myself other tasks, which I pursued in theprivacy of my own bachelor apartments. An inherited love for books onabstruse and occult subjects, probably in part the result of my bloodconnection with Dr. Evan Llewellyn, caused me to collect a uniquelibrary, largely on mystical subjects, in which I took the keenestdelight. My business and my professional duties by day, and my studiesat night, made my life a busy one.
In the midst of my work and reading I encountered the character whosestrange story forms the essential part of the following narrative. I mayanticipate by saying that the manuscript to follow only incidentallyconcerns myself, and that if possible I would relinquish all connectiontherewith. It recites the physical, mental, and moral adventures of onewhose life history was abruptly thrust upon my attention, and asabruptly interrupted. The vicissitudes of his body and soul,circumstances seemed to compel me to learn and to make public.
ETIDORPHA.