第 1 节
作者:点绛唇      更新:2021-02-21 15:06      字数:9322
  The Castle of Otranto
  by Horace Walpole
  PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION。
  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。  It is not unlikely that an artful priest might endeavour  to turn their own arms on the innovators; and might avail himself of  his abilities as an author to confirm the populace in their ancient  errors and superstitions。  If this was his view; he has certainly  acted with signal address。  Such a work as the following would enslave  a hundred vulgar minds beyond half the books of controversy that have  been written from the days of Luther to the present hour。
  This solution of the author's motives is; however; offered as a mere  conjecture。  Whatever his views were; or whatever effects the  execution of them might have; his work can only be laid before the  public at present as a matter of entertainment。  Even as such; some  apology for it is necessary。  Miracles; visions; necromancy; dreams;  and other preternatural events; are exploded now even from romances。   That was not the case when our author wrote; much less when the story  itself is supposed to have happened。  Belief in every kind of prodigy  was so established in those dark ages; that an author would not be  faithful to the manners of the times; who should omit all mention of  them。  He is not bound to believe them himself; but he must represent  his actors as believing them。
  If this air of the miraculous is excused; the reader will find nothing  else unworthy of his perusal。  Allow the possibility of the facts; and  all the actors comport themselves as persons would do in their  situation。  There is no bombast; no similes; flowers; digressions; or  unnecessary descriptions。  Everything tends directly to the  catastrophe。  Never is the reader's attention relaxed。  The rules of  the drama are almost observed throughout the conduct of the piece。   The characters are well drawn; and still better maintained。  Terror;  the author's principal engine; prevents the story from ever  languishing; and it is so often contrasted by pity; that the mind is  kept up in a constant vicissitude of interesting passions。
  Some persons may perhaps think the characters of the domestics too  little serious for the general cast of the story; but besides their  opposition to the principal personages; the art of the author is very  observable in his conduct of the subalterns。  They discover many  passages essential to the story; which could not be well brought to  light but by their NAIVETE and simplicity。  In particular; the  womanish terror and foibles of Bianca; in the last chapter; conduce  essentially towards advancing the catastrophe。
  It is natural for a translator to be prejudiced in favour of his  adopted work。  More impartial readers may not be so much struck with  the beauties of this piece as I was。  Yet I am not blind to my  author's defects。  I could wish he had grounded his plan on a more  useful moral than this:  that 〃the sins of fathers are visited on  their children to the third and fourth generation。〃  I doubt whether;  in his time; any more than at present; ambition curbed its appetite of  dominion from the dread of so remote a punishment。  And yet this moral  is weakened by that less direct insinuation; that even such anathema  may be diverted by devotion to St。 Nicholas。  Here the interest of the  Monk plainly gets the better of the judgment of the author。  However;  with all its faults; I have no doubt but the English reader will be  pleased with a sight of this performance。  The piety that reigns  throughout; the lessons of virtue that are inculcated; and the rigid  purity of the sentiments; exempt this work from the censure to which  romances are but too liable。  Should it meet with the success I hope  for; I may be encouraged to reprint the original Italian; though it  will tend to depreciate my own labour。  Our language falls far short  of the charms of the Italian; both for variety and harmony。  The  latter is peculiarly excellent for simple narrative。  It is difficult  in English to relate without falling too low or rising too high; a  fault obviously occasioned by the little care taken to speak pure  language in common conversation。  Every Italian or Frenchman of any  rank piques himself on speaking his own tongue correctly and with  choice。  I cannot flatter myself with having done justice to my author  in this respect:  his style is as elegant as his conduct of the  passions is masterly。  It is a pity that he did not apply his talents  to what they were evidently proper for … the theatre。
  I will detain the reader no longer; but to make one short remark。   Though the machinery is invention; and the names of the actors  imaginary; I cannot but believe that the groundwork of the story is  founded on truth。  The scene is undoubtedly laid in some real castle。   The author seems frequently; without design; to describe particular  parts。  〃The chamber;〃 says he; 〃on the right hand;〃 〃the door on the  left hand;〃 〃the distance from the chapel to Conrad's apartment:〃  these and other passages are strong presumptions that the author had  some certain building in his eye。  Curious persons; who have leisure  to employ in such researches; may possibly discover in the Italian  writers the foundation on which our author has built。  If a  catastrophe; at all resembling that which he describes; is believed to  have given rise to this work; it will contribute to interest the  reader; and will make the 〃Castle of Otranto a still more moving  story。
  SONNET TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LADY MARY COKE。
  THE gentle maid; whose hapless tale These melancholy pages speak; Say; gracious lady; shall she fail To draw the tear adown thy cheek?
  No; never was thy pitying breast Insensible to human woes; Tender; tho' firm; it melts distrest For weaknesses it never knows。
  Oh! guard the marvels I relate Of fell ambition scourg'd by fate; From reason's peevish blame。 Blest with thy smile; my dauntless sail I dare expand to Fancy's gale; For sure thy smiles are Fame。
  H。 W。
  CHAPTER I。
  MANFRED; Prince of Otranto; had one son and one daughter:  the latter;  a most beautiful virgin; aged eighteen; was called Matilda。  Conrad;  the son; was three years younger; a homely youth; sickly; and of no  promising disposition; yet he was the darling of his father; who never  showed any symptoms of affection to Matilda。  Manfred had contracted a  marriage for his son with the Marquis of Vicenza's daughter; Isabella;  and she had already been delivered by her guardians into the hands of  Manfred; that he might celebrate the wedding as soon as Conrad's  infirm state of health would permit。
  Manfred's impatience for this ceremonial was remarked by his family  and neighbours。  The former; indeed; apprehending the severity of  their Prince's disposition; did not dare to utter their surmises on  this precipitation。  Hippolita; his wife; an amiable lady; did  sometimes venture to represent the danger of marrying their only son  so early; considering his great youth; and greater infirmities; but  she never received any other answer than reflections on her own  sterility; who had given him but one heir。  His tenants and subjects  were less cautious in their discourses。  They attributed this hasty  wedding to the Prince's dread of seeing accomplished an ancient  prophecy; which was said to have pronounced that the castle and  lordship of Otranto 〃should pass from the present family; whenever the  real owner should be grown too large to inhabit it。〃  It was difficult  to make any sense of this prophecy; and still less easy to conceive  what it had to do with the marriage in question。  Yet these mysteries;  or contradictions; did not make the populace adhere the less to their  opinion。
  Young Conrad's birthday was fixed for his espousals。  The company was  assembled in the chapel of the Castle; and everything ready for  beginn