The Count of Narbonne E-Book

Horace Walpole

• Herausgeber: DigiCat
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

The collection "The Count of Narbonne" serves as a vital exploration of the evolving Gothic drama genre, capturing the unnerving atmosphere and emotional complexities that define this literary form. Assembled with precision, it weaves a tapestry of haunting tales and morally ambiguous characters, with stories that move fluidly between realms of horror and the supernatural. In this anthology, the tension between fate and free will plays out against backdrops that are both grandiose and claustrophobic, a testament to the skillful narrative techniques employed throughout. Herein, the true essence of Gothic literature is distilled, offering readers a wealth of thrilling narratives. The compilation features works by notable figures, such as Horace Walpole and Robert Jephson, whose influence on late 18th-century British literature is indisputable. Both authors set the stage for a rich dialogue on societal anxieties and psychological fears, tapping into the collective subconscious of their era. These writers adeptly interweave the political and the personal, drawing from the burgeoning Gothic tradition while also contributing uniquely to its development. Their collective efforts chart the intersection of historical and narrative invention, collectively offering deeper insight into the culture that birthed these spine-chilling tales. This anthology is an essential read for those interested in the Gothic tradition and its profound impact on literary history. It appeals to both casual readers and scholars by offering a compendium of styles and voices, each contributing to a larger narrative landscape. Readers will find themselves immersed in a world of dark corridors and foreboding landscapes, gaining not only entertainment but also an enriched understanding of the Gothic genre's origins and enduring legacy. Through this collection, one embraces both the sensation of fear and the pleasure of masterful storytelling.

Leseprobe

Horace Walpole, Robert Jephson

The Count of Narbonne

A Tragedy, in Five Acts

 

EAN 8596547353737

DigiCat, 2022 Contact: [email protected]

Table of Contents

THE COUNT OF NARBONNE; A TRAGEDY, IN FIVE ACTS;

REMARKS.

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.

ACT THE FIRST.

SCENE I.

ACT THE SECOND.

SCENE I.

ACT THE THIRD.

SCENE I.

SCENE II.

ACT THE FOURTH.

SCENE I.

ACT THE FIFTH.

SCENE I.

SCENE II.

SCENE III.

THE END.

THECOUNT OF NARBONNE; A TRAGEDY,IN FIVE ACTS;

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By ROBERT JEPHSON, Esq.

AS PERFORMED AT THETHEATRE ROYAL, COVENT GARDEN.

PRINTED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE MANAGERS FROM THE PROMPT BOOK.

WITH REMARKSBY Mrs. INCHBALD.

LONDON:PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, AND ORME, PATERNOSTER ROW.

WILLIAM SAVAGE, PRINTER LONDON.

REMARKS.

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This tragedy was brought upon the stage in 1780; it was extremely admired, and exceedingly attractive.

Neither "The Winter's Tale", nor "Henry VIII" by Shakspeare, were at that time performed at either of the theatres; and the town had no immediate comparison to draw between the conjugal incidents in "The Count of Narbonne," and those which occur in these two very superior dramas.

The Cardinal Wolsey of Shakspeare, is, by Jephson, changed into a holy and virtuous priest; but his importance is, perhaps, somewhat diminished by a discovery, which was intended to heighten the interest of his character; but which is introduced in too sudden, and romantic a manner, to produce the desired consequence upon a well-judging auditor.

One of the greatest faults, by which a dramatist can disappoint and fret his auditor, is also to be met with in this play.—Infinite discourse is exchanged, numberless plans formed, and variety of passions agitated, concerning a person, who is never brought upon the stage—Such is the personal nonentity of Isabel, in this tragedy, and yet the fable could not proceed without her.—Alphonso, so much talked of, yet never seen, is an allowable absentee, having departed to another world; and yet, whether such invisible personages be described as alive, or dead, that play is the most interesting, which makes mention of no one character, but those which are introduced to the sight of the audience.

The lover of romances, whose happy memory, unclouded by more weighty recollections, has retained a wonderful story, by the late Lord Orford, called, "The Castle of Otranto," will here, it is said, find a resemblance of plot and incidents, the acknowledged effect of close imitation.

Lord Orford, (at that time Mr. Horace Walpole,) attended some rehearsals of this tragedy, upon the very account, that himself was the founder of the fabric.

The author was of no mean reputation in the literary world, for he had already produced several successful dramas. "The Count of Narbonne" proved to be his last, and his best composition.——Terror is here ably excited by descriptions of the preternatural—Horror, by the portraiture of guilt; and compassion, by the view of suffering innocence.—These are three passions, which, divided, might each constitute a tragedy; and all these powerful engines of the mind and heart, are here, most happily combined to produce that end,—and each forms a lesson of morality.

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.

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Austin

Mr. Harley.

Theodore

Mr. Bloomfield.

Fabian

Mr. Thompson.

Officers

Mr. Powell.

Mr. Evatt.

The Count

Mr. Farren.

Adelaide

Mrs. Merry.

Jaqueline

Mrs. Platt.

Countess

Mrs. Pope.

Officers, Attendants, &c.

SCENE.—Narbonne Castle, and the Monastery of St. Nicholas, adjoining to the Castle.

THE COUNT OF NARBONNE.

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ACT THE FIRST.

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SCENE I.

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A Hall.

Enter the Count, speaking to an Officer; Fabian following.

Count. Not to be found! is this your faithful service?

How could she pass unseen? By hell, 'tis false!

Thou hast betray'd me.

Offi. Noble sir! my duty——

Count. Your fraud, your negligence—away, reply not.

Find her within this hour; else, by my life,

The gates of Narbonne shall be clos'd against thee;

Then make the world thy country.

[Exit Officer.

Fabian, stay!

Misfortunes fall so thick upon my head,

They will not give me time to think—to breathe.

Fab. Heaven knows, I wish your peace; but am to learn,

What grief more fresh than my young lord's decease,

A sorrow but of three days past, can move you.

Count. O bitter memory! gone, gone for ever!

The pillar of my house, my only son!

Fab. 'Twas terrible indeed.