Negotium Perambulans

by E.F. Benson

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Lovecraftian, Gothic

9 pages, Unknown Binding

First published November 1, 1922

About the author

Edward Frederic "E. F." Benson was an English novelist, biographer, memoirist, archaeologist and short story writer.

E. F. Benson was the younger brother of A.C. Benson, who wrote the words to "Land of Hope and Glory", Robert Hugh Benson, author of several novels and Roman Catholic apologetic works, and Margaret Benson, an author and amateur Egyptologist.

Benson died during 1940 of throat cancer at the University College Hospital, London. He is buried in the cemetery at Rye, East Sussex.

Last paragraph from Wikipedia

Reviews

[Lizz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t write reviews.

“It was like wrestling with a nightmare.”

The author of the delightful Mapp and Lucia tales, also had quite a knack for horror. The special kind of horror that relies on the light of a candle to keep the malevolent evil at bay.

[Per · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/60339...

The title of this short story comes from a mistranslation(*) of part of Psalm 91.

This fourth panel (he came down from his pulpit to trace its time-worn features) represented the lych-gate of the church-yard at Polearn itself, and indeed the resemblance when thus pointed out was remarkable. In the entry stood the figure of a robed priest holding up a Cross, with which he faced a terrible creature like a gigantic slug, that reared itself up in front of him. That, so ran my uncle’s interpretation, was some evil agency, such as he had spoken about to us children, of almost infinite malignity and power, which could alone be combated by firm faith and a pure heart. Below ran the legend “Negotium perambulans in tenebris” from the ninety-first Psalm. We should find it translated there, “the pestilence that walketh in darkness,” which but feebly rendered the Latin. It was more deadly to the soul than any pestilence that can only kill the body: it was the Thing, the Creature, the Business that trafficked in the outer Darkness, a minister of God’s wrath on the unrighteous.

Psalm 91(**) has some extra context around the quote in verse 5-7.

5 You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day,

6 Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you.

(*) http://www.fredericsdurbin.com/2014/0...
(**) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/...

https://www.tor.com/2015/09/29/lovecr...

[Suvi · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ancient and Biblical creature lurks in a remote fishing village, except it's a giant bloodsucking leech-like creature, which I thought kind of hilarious. Another inspiration for Lovecraft, apparently. I somehow feel like if M. R. James had written this, it could have been a lot better. In relation to what the ending turned out to be, there was way too much introduction, exposition, and padding, whereas James would have focused on terror and kept things to the point. I mean, Benson isn't a bad writer, but I hope his other horror stories are more entertaining and effective.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

after discussing this story for an hour+ in a room of highly conjecture-leaning classmates, I have come to the conclusion that some things are better off less discussed.

[Richard Dominguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this story as part of the anthology Weird Horror Short Stories Look for my review will in that overall read.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining listening 🎧
I listened to this as part of the Classic Horror Tales - 500+ stories. I enjoyed listening too this novella with its haunting and horror. I would recommend this to readers of horror stories. Enjoy the adventure of reading or listening. 2002

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story very Lovecraftian in feel, apparently Lovecraft was a fan of this tale himself.

It's set in a small Cornish village, where ancient forces seemingly possess inhabitants of a bastardised church.

[Joe Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story that HP Lovecraft enjoyed. It is interesting.

[Amy Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, if predictable, pre-Lovecraft Weird Fiction. The biggest weakness is the abrupt ending. A bit more exposition, with the narrator's reactions, would have helped immensely.

[Rissa (rissasreading) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a big build up for a leech lmao

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

The setting being in Cornwall drew this book to me. Not particularly scary to me but worth a read.

[Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall enjoyed this short story, although it suffers from the abruptness in which it ends.

[Tony Ciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

great story by greatauthor.

[Marco · Rating 2 out of 5]

This short story was written when Lovecraft was not yet an established author, and it contains many themes that will later be appropriated by Lovecraft: the story is set in a rural and out of the way town, where ancient horrors lingers. The story is told by one of the protagonist, that befriend a local artist, that is one of the first in understanding more about the ancient horrors.
What made the short story particularly interesting, is that it helped me understand the context from with Lovecraft emerged, what was original in his writing, and what was his unique contribution.