Once my fancy was soothed with dreams of virtue, of fame, and of enjoyment. Once I falsely hoped to meet with beings, who, pardoning my outward form, would love me for the excellent qualities which I was capable of bringing forth. I was nourished with high thoughts of honour and devotion. But now vice has degraded me beneath the meanest animal. No crime, no mischief, no malignity, no misery, can be found comparable to mine. When I call over the frightful catalogue of my deeds, I cannot believe that I am he whose thoughts were once filled with sublime and transcendant visions of the beauty and the majesty of goodness. But it is even so; the fallen angel becomes a malignant devil. Yet even that enemy of God and man had friends and associates in his desolation; I am quite alone.
From Frankenstein, 1818 by Shelley
Nothing but virtue, fame and enjoyment once pleased my fancy and I even dared to hope to meet with humans who could pardon my appearance and who could love me for who I am, the ability to do good. O, I was nourished on such high hopes of performing the honorable and leading the life of the devout; but now my misdeeds have degraded me to a mere savage: I am now crime, mischief, misery. When I recall the catalogue of my frightful and miserable deeds, I cannot believe I once was filled with thoughts of sublimity and sublime goodness; but it is true I have fallen: I am the devil without his army, pathetic and powerful I am.
(Mister Wu)
From Frankenstein, 1818 by Shelley
Nothing but virtue, fame and enjoyment once pleased my fancy and I even dared to hope to meet with humans who could pardon my appearance and who could love me for who I am, the ability to do good. O, I was nourished on such high hopes of performing the honorable and leading the life of the devout; but now my misdeeds have degraded me to a mere savage: I am now crime, mischief, misery. When I recall the catalogue of my frightful and miserable deeds, I cannot believe I once was filled with thoughts of sublimity and sublime goodness; but it is true I have fallen: I am the devil without his army, pathetic and powerful I am.
(Mister Wu)