WITH KrOBIAN INTERLUDE FOLLOWING, or, Broken Equipment, but Unbroken Spirit-- or something of the like. VATHEK, our continuing presentation, was originally written in French, of which its style is said to be a model by those who know. The translation presented here, not by the author himself, but by the annotator we refer to, the Very Reverend Samuel Henley, was originally published in 1786. We like it, of course, for its distinctive quality of Supernatural interest and grandeur. It is a matter of interest (to us) that much of the description of Vathek’s palace presented in the novel, and even the renowned Hall of Eblis, described in a part we have not yet reached, was afterwards visibly embodied in the real Fonthill Abbey, of which strange and similar wonders, almost as fabulous, were at one time reported and believed. This Fonthill Abbey, which had been destroyed by fire, and re-built during the lifetime of Wm. Beckford the elder, was, on account of its bad site, demolished, and again rebuilt under our author's superintendence himself, with an assist by James Wyatt, Esq., the architect, with a magnificence that excited the greatest attention and wonder at the time. Now, the distinguishing architectural peculiarity of Fonthill Abbey was a lofty tower, 280 feet tall. This tower was strangely similar to the one described in “VATHEK,” and shows how strong a hold the idea had upon his mind. In this episode we read about how Bababalouk, the chief of his eunuchs, was teased by the beautiful women of the Caliph's harem, who all had gone along with him on his expeditionary search for the realm of the evil Efrit who had offered him the prospect of secret and unholy knowledge. These dazzling women rushed nude from their bath, water streaming from their gleaming bodies, and tossed the portly eunuch on a swing, which then snapped under his weight and precipitated him into the bath, where he became entangled in, and weighed down with, sopping-wet towels. The story continues after this quasi-comedic vignette-- until the sudden appearance of KrOB, who stays with the program to the end. Next week we continue...