He loved the soothing hour, when the last tints of light die away; when the stars, one by one, tremble through aether, and are reflected on the dark mirror of the waters; that hour, which, of all others, inspires the mind with pensive tenderness, and often elevates it to sublime contemplation.

The Mysteries of Udolfo: A Romance Interspersed with Some Pieces of Poetry (ed. 1795)