The Castle of OtrantoPurchase one of 1st World Library's Classic Books and help support our free internet library of downloadable eBooks. Visit us online at www.1stWorldLibrary.ORG - - The following work was found in the library of an ancient Catholic family in the north of England. It was printed at Naples, in the black letter, in the year 1529. How much sooner it was written does not appear. The principal incidents are such as were believed in the darkest ages of Christianity; but the language and conduct have nothing that savours of barbarism. The style is the purest Italian. If the story was written near the time when it is supposed to have happened, it must have been between 1095, the era of the first Crusade, and 1243, the date of the last, or not long afterwards. There is no other circumstance in the work that can lead us to guess at the period in which the scene is laid: the names of the actors are evidently fictitious, and probably disguised on purpose: yet the Spanish names of the domestics seem to indicate that this work was not composed until the establishment of the Arragonian Kings in Naples had made Spanish appellations familiar in that country. The beauty of the diction, and the zeal of the author (moderated, however, by singular judgment) concur to make me think that the date of the composition was little antecedent to that of the impression. Letters were then in their most flourishing state in Italy, and contributed to dispel the empire of superstition, at that time so forcibly attacked by the reformers. |
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acquainted affection alarm Alfonso armour art thou attendants aught behold bless blood canst casque castle Castle of Otranto chamber child church Conrad convent cried Bianca cried Manfred cried Theodore dare daughter dear death didst Diego discourse divorce domestics door dost thou dread endeavoured escape eyes fate flight Frederic gallery gracious grief hand hast thou hear heard heart heaven helmet Highness Highness's holy Holy Land honour Horace Walpole hour impatience interrupted Manfred Jaquez Jerome Joppa knew Knight Lady Isabella Lord Madam Manfred's Marquis marriage moonshine mother Naples never Nicholas pardon passion pray Prince of Otranto Prince's Princess Hippolita retired secret servants Sicily silent soon soul speak spectre stranger tears tell tenderness terror thee Theodore's thou art thou hast thought thy father told trap-door trembling unhappy uttered vault Vicenza virtuous voice ween wished words wretched young Lord young peasant youth