The Castle of Otranto: A Gothic StoryFirst published pseudonymously in 1764, The Castle of Otranto purported to be a translation of an Italian story of the time of the crusades. In it Walpole attempted, as he declared in the Preface to the Second Edition, "to blend the two kinds of romance: the ancient and the modern." Crammedwith invention, entertainment, terror, and pathos, the novel was an immediate success and Walpole's own favorite among his numerous works. The novel is reprinted here from a text of 1798, the last that Walpole himself prepared for the press. |
Contents
Preface to the Second Edition | 7 |
Sonnet to the Right Honourable Lady Mary Coke | 13 |
II | 37 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
affection alarmed Alfonso armour art thou attendants behold believe Bianca bless blood Castle of Otranto chamber child church Conrad convent cried Manfred dare daughter dear death didst Diego divorce domestics door dost thou dread Earl of Orford edition endeavoured escape eyes fate father flight fred Frederic gallery grief hand hast thou hear heard heart heaven helmet herald highness highness's holy honour Horace Walpole hour ichnography impatience interrupted Jaquez Jerome knew knight lady Isabella lord madam Manfred's marquis marriage Matilda Mme du Deffand mother Naples never Old English Baron pardon passion pray prince prince's principality of Otranto retired Ricardo saint Nicholas scene secret seemed servants sirs soon soul speak story stranger Strawberry Hill tears tell tenderness thee Theodore Theodore's thou art thou hast thought trembling unhappy vault Vicenza virtuous voice Voltaire Walpole Walpole's wished words wretched young peasant youth