[WALPOLE, Horace].

The Castle of Otranto, A Story. Translated by William Marshall, Gent. From the Original Italian of Onuphrio Muralto, Canon of the Church of St. Nicholas at Otranto. London: Printed for Tho. Lownds, 1765

First edition. Small 8vo. viii, 200 pp. Recent period style full speckled calf, spine with raised bands, double gilt rules and gilt decoration to compartments, gilt lettered red label, gilt tooling to edges of boards, near contemporary inscription to upper edge of title page reading “H Carr the gift of / Eleanora Swinburne” followed by another mark scribbled out by an old hand. The inscription in two hands, Eleonora name presumably noting her ownership of the book and the first part recording its presentation. Small tears to inner margins of F7 and F8 (pp. 77-8 and 79-80) expertly repaired, slight toning to first and last few leaves, otherwise in very good condition.

Hazen, 17.

As Hazen notes the novel was actually first published 24th December, 1764, though the title page bears the following year. Walpole, for fear of public ridicule, purportedly published the novel under the ruse of it being a translation of much earlier Italian text. When its success became apparent he began to assert his authorship, writing to a contemporary within a few months of the publication: “a little story book, which I published some time ago, though not boldly with my own name; but it has succeeded so well, that I do not longer entirely keep the secret.”
Eleanora Swinburne was the daughter of Sir John Swinburne of Capheaton Hall, Northumberland, 3rd Baron Swinburne. The poet Algernon Charles Swinburne was the grandson of the 6th Baronet. Coincidentally Hazen refers to a copy of the book owned by Richard Bull rebound in red morocco which came up for sale at the Julia Swinburne sale at Sotheby’s in June, 1894. Julia was Algernon Charles’ aunt and died in 1893 aged 97.

£4750.00