The Ghost Seer
By Hanns Heinz Ewers 1922
Translated by Joe E. Bandel 2009
Copyright 2009 by Joe E. Bandel Protected under United States Copyright Law as a derivative work of a foreign Author originally published prior to 1923
Ghost Seer
From the papers of Count O____
Part 1 by Friedrich von Shiller
Part 2 by Hanns Heinz Ewers
Chapter 1
I tell of things that would seem unbelievable if I had not witnessed many of them with my own eyes. There are those that if still living will at long last find a welcome disclosure over the small portion of this story that is taken from a certain political incident.
It will also contribute to the history of this deception and perhaps give rest to some restless human spirits. You will be amazed over the boldness of the objective, the malice to design such a plan and the ability to pursue it. You will also be amazed at the strange powers that were called up to assure this goal.
My writing quill will preside over only pure, rigorous truth in this report. Furthermore, if these pages ever enter into the world it will only be when I am no more and have nothing to win or loose through their disclosure.
It was on my return trip to Kurland, Latvia, in the year 1779 around Carnival time when I was visiting Prince Alexander in Venice. We had gotten to know each other during our military service and were renewing a relationship that the peace had interrupted.
I had no desire to see more of this remarkable city and the Prince was only waiting on a Bill of Exchange for the funds to travel back to Germany. He lightly advised me to accept his company and put off my departure. We came to an agreement to remain together for the duration of our stay in Venice and the Prince was so accommodating as to offer me lodging at his own residence in Mohren.
He lived there incognito under the strictest secrecy. He wanted to live by himself with his small allowance and not make his royal stature known. Two chevaliers whose discretion he could count on completely and a few faithful servants were his entire retinue.
He shunned extravagant living more out of temperament than out of thrift and at the old age of thirty-five he resisted and fled the pleasures and delights of this voluptuous city. He was indifferent as well to the beautiful sex.
A deeply sincere and passionate melancholy ruled his disposition. His inclination was to be quiet and stubborn to excess, shy and slow to make decisions. But his friendships were warm and eternal.
He was alone in the middle of a noisy crowd of people, withdrawn into his own inner world and was very often a stranger in this real, genuine one. There was no one more born to such a life, ruled by it without being weak. Therefore he was intrepid and reliable once he was won to your side. He possessed equally great courage and would fight to the death for a friend or a cause he believed in.
As the third prince of his house he had no likely prospect to ever reign and had no ambitions for it. His passions had taken a different direction. He was contented with no inclination to set off on outlandish schemes and urged no one to advance his cause.
The peaceful freedom of a free and easy life with the enjoyment of witty companions was more than he could wish for. He read a lot, yet without discernment. A neglected education and early military service had not allowed his spirit to fully ripen. All acquaintances that he formed after that only increased the confused chaos of his thoughts because they were not built on a solid educational foundation.
He was a Protestant like his entire family but through birth and not through investigation and inquiry even though at one point in his life he was passionately religious. As far as I know he never became a Freemason.
