I know not how long I continued in this state; but I remember that, on opening my eyes the first object that presented itself to me, was the sky glowing as before with ten thousand stars, and the moon walking in her unclouded brightness through the heavens.  The whole circumstance then rushed back upon my mind, but with a sense of horror very much diminished; I arose, and on looking towards the spot, perceived the coffin in the same place.  I then stood, and endeavoring to collect myself, viewed it as calmly as possible; it was, however, as motionless and distinct as when I first saw it.  I now began to reason upon the matter, and to consider that it was pusillanimous in me to give way to such boyish terrors.  The confidence, also, which my heart, only a short time before this, had experienced in the presence and protection of the Almighty, again returned, and, along with it, a degree of religious fortitude, which invigorated my whole system.  “Well,” thought I, “in the name of God I shall ascertain what you are, let the consequence be what it may.”  I then advanced until I stood exactly over it, and raising my foot gave it a slight kick.  “Now,” said I, “nothing remains but to ascertain whether it contains a dead body or not;” but on raising the end of it, I perceived by its lightness, that it was empty.  To investigate the cause of its being left in this solitary spot was, however, not within the compass of my philosophy, so I gave that up.  On looking at it more closely, I noticed a plate, marked with the name and age of the person for whom it was intended, and on bringing my eyes near the letters, I was able, between fingering and reading, to make out the name of my old cudgel-fighting school-fellow, Denis Kelly.

This discovery threw a partial light upon the business; but I now remembered to have heard of individuals who had seen black, unearthly coffins, inscribed with the names of certain living persons; and that these were considered as ominous of the death of those persons.  I accordingly determined to be certain that this was a real coffin; and as Denis’s house was not more than a mile before me, I decided on carrying it that far, “If he be dead,” thought I, “it will be all light, and if not, we will see more about it.”  My mind, in fact, was diseased by terror.  I instantly raised the coffin, and as I found a rope lying on the ground under it, I strapped it about my shoulders and proceeded:  nor could I help smiling when I reflected upon the singular transition which the man of sentiment and sensation so strangely underwent;—­from the sublime contemplation of the silent mountain solitude and the spangled heavens to the task of carrying a coffin!  It was an adventure, however, and I was resolved to see how it would terminate.