The Old English Baron: A Gothic Story. By Clara Reeve |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
alſo anſwer aſked aſſiſt beſt bleſſings buſineſs Caſtle cauſe cloſet converſation dear defired deſerve deſigns diſpoſe door Emma eſtate eſteem faid Edmund faid Ofwald faid ſhe faid Sir Philip faid the Baron father filence firſt fome foon friendſhip gentlemen haunted apartment heard heart Heaven heir honour houſe intereſting John Wyatt Joſeph juſtice kinſmen Lady laſt Lord Clifford Lord Fitz-Owen Lord Graham Lord Lovel Lordſhip Maſter meſſengers moſt mund muſt myſelf night noble obſerved paſſed perſon pleaſe poſſible preſent promiſed propoſed purpoſe queſtion raiſed reaſon reſolution reſolved reſpect reſt roſe ſaid ſame ſay ſecond ſecret ſee ſeemed ſeen ſent ſervants ſerve ſervice ſet ſettle ſeveral ſhall ſhewed ſhould Sir Philip Harclay Sir Robert ſome ſomething ſon ſpeak ſpirit ſpoke ſtill ſtood ſtory ſtrange ſtrove ſubject ſuch ſuppoſe tell theſe thing thoſe took uſed viſit Wenlock whoſe William wiſhed witneſs Wyatt young youth Zadiſky
Popular passages
Page iii - Otranto; a work which, as already has been observed, is an attempt to unite the various merits and graces of the ancient Romance and modern Novel. To attain this end, there is required a sufficient degree of the marvellous, to excite the attention; enough of the manners of real life, to give an air of probability to the work; and enough of the pathetic, to engage the heart in its behalf.
Page 54 - He then took a survey of his chamber: the furniture by long neglect was decayed and dropping to pieces; the bed was devoured by the moths, and occupied by the rats, who had built their nests there with impunity for many generations. The bedding was very damp, for the rain had forced its way through the ceiling; he determined, therefore, to lie down in his clothes. There were two doors on the further side of the room, with keys in them : being not at all sleepy, he resolved to...
Page iv - ... the opening excites the attention very strongly; the conduct of the story is artful and judicious; the characters are admirably drawn and supported; the diction polished and elegant; yet, with all these brilliant advantages, it palls upon the mind (though it does not upon the ear); and the reason is obvious, the machinery is so violent that it destroys the effect it is intended to excite. Had the story been kept within the utmost verge of probability, the effect had been preserved, without losing...
Page i - Story is of a species which, tho' not new, is out of the common track, it has been thought necessary to point out some circumstances to the reader, which will elucidate the design, and, it is hoped, will induce him to form a favourable, as well as a right judgment of the work before him. This Story is the literary offspring of the...
Page 83 - ... that the poor lady had not Christian burial. Never trouble thyself about that, said Andrew ; we have done the best we could for her; but let us see what we have got in our bags; we must divide them. So they opened their bags, and took out a fine gown and a pair of rich shoes ; but, beside these, there was a fine necklace, with a golden locket, and a pair of ear-rings.
Page 71 - The lower rooms answered exactly to those above ; there were two parlours and a large closet. They saw nothing remarkable in these rooms, except two pictures, that were turned with their faces to the wall. Joseph took the courage to turn them : These, said he, are the portraits of my lord and lady. Father, look at this face ; do you know who is like it...
Page iv - A sword so large as to require an hundred men to lift it; a helmet that by its own weight forces a passage through a court-yard, into an arched vault, big enough for a man to go through...
Page i - This Story is the literary offspring of the Castle of Otranto, written upon the same plan, with a design to unite the most attractive and interesting circumstances of the ancient Romance and modern Novel, at the same time it assumes a character and manner of its own, that differs from both; it is distinguished by the appellation of a Gothic Story, being a picture of Gothic times and manners.
Page 55 - ... resisted his attempts; he set the lamp on the ground, and, exerting all his strength, opened the door, and at the same instant the wind of it blew out the lamp, and left him in utter darkness. At the same moment he heard a hollow rustling noise, like that of a person coming through a narrow passage. Till this moment not one idea of fear had approached the mind of Edmund; but, just then, all the concurrent circumstances of his situation struck upon his heart, and gave him a new and disagreeable...
Page 58 - As soon as he was perfectly awake, he strove to recollect his dreams. He thought that he heard people coming up the staircase that he had a glimpse of : that the door opened, and there entered a warrior, leading a lady by the hand, who was young and beautiful, but pale and wan : the man was dressed in complete armour, and his helmet down. They approached the bed ; they undrew the curtains. He thought the man said, Is this our child ? The woman replied, It is ; and the hour approaches that he shall...