Quotes from book
Vathek

Name: Vathek
Author: William Beckford

William Beckford Original title Vathek (French, 1786)

Vathek is a Gothic novel written by William Beckford. It was composed in French beginning in 1782, and then translated into English by Reverend Samuel Henley in which form it was first published in 1786 without Beckford's name as An Arabian Tale, From an Unpublished Manuscript, claiming to be translated directly from Arabic. The first French edition, titled simply as Vathek, was published in December 1786 . In the twentieth century some editions include The Episodes of Vathek , three related tales intended by Beckford to be so incorporated, but omitted from the original edition and published separately long after his death.

“I am not over-fond of resisting temptation.”

William Beckford book Vathek

Je n'aime pas à résister à la tentation.
Source: Vathek, P. 140; translation p. 83.

“I myself have a great desire to watch over thy conduct, and visit the subterranean palace, which, no doubt, contains whatever can interest persons like us. There is nothing so pleasing as retiring to caverns: my taste for dead bodies, and everything like mummy, is decided.”

William Beckford book Vathek

J'aurois grande envie de voir ce palais souterrein, rempli d'objets intéressans pour les gens de notre espèce; il n'est rien que j'aime autant que les caverns; mon goût pour les cadavres & les momies est décidé.
Source: Vathek, P. 56; translation p. 34.

“When he was angry, one of his eyes became so terrible, that no person could bear to behold it; and the wretch upon whom it was fixed, instantly fell backward, and sometimes expired. For fear, however, of depopulating his dominions, and making his palace desolate, he but rarely gave way to his anger.”

William Beckford book Vathek

Quand il étoit en colère, un de ses yeux devenoit si terrible qu'on n'en pouvoit pas soutenir les regards: le malheureux sur lequel il le fixoit tomboit à la renverse, & quelquefois même expiroit à l'instant. Aussi, dans la crainte de dépeupler ses états, & de faire un désert de son palais, ce prince ne se mettoit en colère que très-rarement.
Source: Vathek, P. 3; translation p. 1.