This 1802 novel details a tale of violence, manipulation, and deceit, as an outlaw attempts to evade his capture and destined fate. Will poetic justice be served or will evil continue to reign?
Material
History
This image shows the lack of front cover and delicate state of the binding of pages
This edition of Oswick,
The Bold Outlaw, A Tale Of The Eighth Century is rather worn, with no front
cover, back cover, or substantial binding. The pages are held together by
weathered remnants of paper binding, with a few pages falling loose. Upon
opening the book, the reader is met with an intricate illustration, the only
departure from the otherwise simple and consistent printing. This frontispiece
depicts a man with a sword standing over a slain body in the midst of trees. The
man who has been slain seems to have been a knight of sorts, as his helmet is
lying beside his body on the ground. The image is composed entirely of
line-work, with all shading being a manipulation of the density of lines, with
there being either an abundance or absence of lines. The image is captioned
with the following: “They beheld Blight standing over the mangled body of
Egbert: his countenance betrayed the violent emotions of his mind—agitated by
remorse—pg. 21”
The title page features the only appearance of the title in
the entire book. There is no mention of the author, and thus the author of this
work is unknown. However, “printed for T. Hurst, Paternoster-row” does appear
on the title page, followed by “By J.D. Dewick, aldersgate-street” in much
smaller, almost miniscule font, suggesting that such is not the author but
rather the publisher.
The novel is 85 pages long, and is printed in a simplistic
manner, on textured, rough, yellowed paper, with the edges browning. The pages
feature a page number on the top and justified blocks of text, with large
margins and small font, in a rather uniform fashion for the entirety of the 85
pages of the novel. However, some of the blocks of text on certain pages are
unevenly placed, with some being crooked and having larger margins than others.
It is to be noted that other versions of this novel have been found, which are
printed as chapbooks and only feature thirty-some pages. One feature that can
be seen in this edition is the appearance of letters in small font followed by
a number at the bottom of certain pages. At the time, this was a mechanism to
indicate how to correctly line up and fold the pages when printing. The book
features no chapters.
This image shows pages of sample text, with markings of age and irregular margins
Other irregularities of the book are merely a result of wear
and age. The image featured on the back of the first page has left a slightly
darkened imprint on the front of the second page. The frontispiece and title
page are the most worn, being significantly darker and browner than the rest of
the pages. Every page features three small holes in the middle left/right,
towards the spine, as the pages were likely originally bound through these
holes. There is a uniform brown spot on the top right of pages 8 through 15, as
if something was spilt. The pages towards the end of the book are significantly
whiter, firmer, and less worn, suggesting that the novel was not read all the
way through much. There is a notable hole on page 79. The text is faded in
certain parts, with no pattern. The simplistic pages and the absence of an
author suggest the book was cheaply printed.
Textual
History
Oswick, the Bold
Outlaw: A Tale of the Eighth Century has many versions in circulation. In
addition to the 86-page edition published in 1802 by T. Hurst, there is also a
chapbook version of Oswick. One version of this chapbook was published
in 1806 in a volume of The Entertainer III and under the title, Surprising
Achievements of Oswick, the Bold Outlaw, Chieftain of a Band of
Robbers: Containing Also an Interesting Account of Enna, His Fair Captive,
as Related by Her Son to King Alfred. A Tale of the Eighth Century. Another
chapbook, again with the shorter title of Oswick, the Bold Outlaw: A Tale of
the Eight Century,was published by Dean and Munday in 1823; this
chapbook has 38 pages and a colored illustration instead of the black and white
illustration.
T. Hurst, the
publisher of the 1802 edition, published many other gothic texts in the early
nineteenth century. The publishers Dean and Munday also published many
chapbooks in the early nineteenth century, primarily between 1810 and 1855.
Dean and Munday were known as pioneers of moveable books for children, which
were books with interactive features such as pop-ups and flaps. The company was
a small family business, founded in 1702, and later growing to a larger scale
in the eighteenth century.
While some
university library catalog entries note that this title appears in A Gothic Bibliography by Montague
Summers on page 455, it in fact does not. The title noted on that page is Oswick the Outlaw which is a different
text than Oswick the Bold Outlaw. Oswick
the Outlaw was written by G Smith, Jr. and published by Southwark : G.
Smith and Co. in 1815, is 24 pages, and is a children’s story that was performed
as a play.
The frontispiece and title page for Oswick, The Bold Outlaw
The title page of
the 1802 work contains a five-line poem. This is an excerpt from King Arthur: An Heroick Poem in Twelve Books by Sir Richard Blackmore M. D.,
published in 1697. The original poem is as follows:
Hell’s greatest Masters all their
Skill combin’d
To form and cultivate so fierce a Mind,
Till their great Work was to Perfection brought,
A finish’d Monster form’d without a Fault.
No Flaw of Goodness, no deforming Vein
Or Streak of Vertue did their Offspring stain.
However, the lines included in the front of the book exclude
the third line. The chapbook editions feature a different variation of only 4
lines.
There are no
translations of this work and no traces of the reception of this book from the
nineteenth century. In addition, its printing as a chapbook suggests it was a
cheap work. There are no modern reprintings of the work or digital editions
available. There is no scholarship on this text, also suggesting that it was
not particularly popular.
Narrative
Point of View
Oswick, the Bold
Outlaw: A Tale of the Eighth Century is narrated anonymously in third
person. The sentences generally lack significant amounts of description or
insight into the characters’ thoughts and feelings, and rather focus mainly on
plot development and observable actions. The description that is offered is
akin to that which might be expected of a casual audience member of a play
describing a scene, noting the anxiety on a character’s face or the pace of
someone’s steps. The narration frequently consists of long, compound sentences
comprised of short fragments bound together by many commas, colons, and
semicolons, especially when describing a series of events taking place in
succession, and many times punctuated with a period only at the end of the
paragraph.
Sample Passage:
Oswick never before had seen the inside of a dungeon, and he shuddered. Blight was discovered extended upon his back in the damp vault ; his legs and hands were chained to the ground ; a basket of coarse bread was by his side, and a pitcher of stinking water ; pestiferous animals drew their train along the ground, and across his body ; a lamp burned in one corner of the dungeon, that emitted but a faint light, and materially added to the gloomy horrors of the place. (50)
The third-person narration plays a
significant role in amplifying the suspense of the plot since much of the plot
is spent with Oswick, the protagonist, incognito and attempting to avoid his
capture. The narrator explains, “Oswick … beheld written in large characters,
the promise of a great reward for his apprehension; and he stopped to read on,
which ran thus: ‘Ten thousand crowns reward are offered to him … who will bring
in the head … [of] Oswick the Outlaw’” (44). Here, the repetition of Oswick’s
name in describing his actions and juxtaposing it against the mention of his
name in a wanted poster emphasize the urgent and dire situation of Oswick and
the shock and fear of seeing one’s own name being hunted. Furthermore, the
staccato pace of the narration coincides with the pace of the dialogue to
create a generally fast-paced tone, adding to the thrill of the plot. The style
of narration also emulates that of a myth or tall tale by boasting the grandeur
and fearful reverence of Oswick, as if he is a mythical villain.
Summary
The novel begins with the narrative of a King, Alfred,
traveling through parts of his constituency to better understand what the
people want. While doing so, one night, the King decides to take a detour off
his route in favor of the beautiful scenery surrounding him. He quickly loses
his way, day turns to night, and a storm afflicts him, forcing him to seek
shelter in a stranger’s home. Alfred is warmly invited in, but upon being shown
his room, finds a trembling boy under his bed, clutching a dagger. Alfred
demands the boy to make clear his intentions and finds out that his mother,
Enna, sent the boy to supply the dagger as a means of protection for Alfred as
he is actually within the home of a notorious bandit, Oswick, and will be
killed as he sleeps.
Enna was indeed right, as Oswick and his gang attack Alfred
later in his chamber in an attempt to kill him. Alfred and the boy are able to
undermine and overpower the assailers, killing Oswick and Blight, a member of
his gang. Oswick unfortunately kills Enna.
As news of Oswick’s demise spreads, the town erupts in
celebration. Oswick had been a heartless tyrant and all of his constituents
lived in constant fear. After the dust settles, the boy, Egwald, begins to
relay his story and the story of Oswick to Alfred.
Egwald, Enna, and his father, Egbert, had been the first
victims of Oswick’s. In a similar situation as Alfred, they were forced to
spend the night at Oswick’s because of a storm. Upon first glance at Enna,
Oswick, astonished by her beauty, fell in love. However, his love was a violent
one, as he prohibited her from leaving her chamber that night, stating that she
was not allowed to continue her journey that night.
Egbert was killed by Oswick, leaving Enna and Egwald
entirely at his mercy. He spared Enna because of his love for her, and honored
her passionate pleas to spare her child as well. Enna and Egwald were then
forced to live within the confines of a dungeon, until the unlikely night that
Enna was permitted to make her journey. In the dungeon Enna was violated by
Oswick and spent the majority of her years in a deep depression.
Egwald then relays how Oswick rose to power. He and his
banditti gained a notorious reputation by making a pact that no one would ever
leave the banditti’s chambers alive. As the banditti slay stranger after
stranger, one of them, Gilbert, began to try to lead a revolution within the
banditti to overthrow the tyranny of Oswick. Gilbert faltered as he was about
to kill Oswick, overcome in a moment of compassion. Left alive, Oswick ensnared
Gilbert in a manipulative plan to frame him, thus resulting in his death as
revenge for his lack of loyalty. In doing so, Oswick accidentally ensnared
himself as well and needed to go to great lengths to reestablish his credibility
as a vicious monster. The tale followed his adventures of manipulation under
disguise as he attempted to evade apprehension and regain his status. Along the
way, he was betrayed by many of his own, who are overpowered by the allure of
the monetary reward offered for Oswick’s capture. The novel comes to a close
with Oswick scarcely escaping his arrest by own of his own comrades, with the
plot coming full circle to the fateful night of the storm which forced Alfred
into Oswick’s home.
Oswick,
the Bold Outlaw: A Tale, of the Eighth Century. London, Dean and Munday,
1823.
Oswick,
the Bold Outlaw: A Tale of the Eighth Century. London, T. Hurst, 1802.
Surprising
Achievements of Oswick, the Bold Outlaw, Chieftain of a Band of Robbers:
Containing Also an Interesting Account of Enna, His Fair Captive, As Related by
Her Son to King Alfred. A Tale of the Eighth Century. Printed by Dewick and
Clarke, for T. Hughes, 1806.
A plagiarism of Sarah Lansdell’s 1796 (and much longer) novel, Manfredi, Baron St. Osmund, this 1790s chapbook features romance, betrayal, and an Italian hermit who is more courageous and honorable than he seems.
Material History
The title page featuring the chapbook’s only illustration, which shows Altieri’s reencounter with the hermit.
The full title of this book is Manfredi, or the Mysterious Hermit, an Interesting and Original Romance. The initial impression of the book, physically, is that it is rather long because Manfredi is the first chapbook in a compilation of eighteen chapbooks. It was common practice at the time to bind many chapbooks together in one book, and Manfredi is only thirty pages out of many in a compilation entitled Tales & Romances. The page numbers are not continuous throughout the compilation, instead they start over at the beginning of each new chapbook. There is no stated author for this book, but it states that it was published by G. Stevens, with the given address at 10 Borough Road, Southwark. There is also no table of contents in the collection, and the stories start one right after the other, often with only one title page separating them that is decorated with a beautiful illustration. At the beginning of Manfredi, there is a detailed watercolor illustration captioned “Altieri’s Re-encounter with the Hermit,” with the title and the publisher on the same page.
The book is 18 centimeters by 11 centimeters, with a sturdy, well-made cover. The binding is made of leather, and it is clearly worn from frequent reading because there are superficial, vertical cracks down the entirety of the spine. The front and back covers are made of marbled paper that has been rubbed away in the center of both sides. There are leather accents on the corners of the cover that seem to be in good condition. The pages themselves are thin, yellow, and feel brittle. One has the urge to treat them with great care and patience so as to not tear them. The margins on the sides and bottom are 1 centimeter each, and the top margin is 2 centimeters. In the middle of the top margin is the page number, which is large in comparison with the rest of the text. The text is dense and rather small, but not extremely tiny. The only other notable characteristic of the book is that there is a translucent, thin piece of paper inserted on pages 15–16 to mend a tear. Overall, the book can easily be described as worn, high-quality, understated, and beautiful.
Textual History
The last page of Manfredi, which lists the printer as Ann Kemmish
The publisher of Manfredi, Or the Mysterious Hermit is London-based G. Stevens, who published many other books, including The Maid and the Magpie: an Interesting Tale Founded on Facts and A Trip to the Fair, Or, A Present for a Good Child. The Maid and the Magpie was published in 1815 or 1816, and A Trip to the Fair was published somewhere between 1810 and 1819. There have been two versions of Manfredi, Or the Mysterious Hermit published, one in the 1790s and one in the 1800s. The printer of the 1790s edition, as noted at the bottom of the last page, is Ann Kemmish. There is no known author, illustrator, or editor. There is one visible difference between the two editions, in that library catalogs frequently credit Sarah Lansdell as the author of the 1790s edition. In actuality, Sarah Lansdell was not the author of this text. She instead wrote a different book entitled, Manfredi, Baron St. Osmund, An Old English Romance in 1796 which encompasses two volumes, each of which take up about 200 pages. This is in direct contrast with Manfredi, Or the Mysterious Hermit, an Interesting and Original Romance, which takes up only 32 pages. Sarah Lansdell’s longer version of the book provided a basis for the shorter, anonymous chapbook. As Angela Koch explains, longer versions of Gothic novels were written and frequently sold to wealthier buyers and libraries, while chapbooks were adapted from them and sold for a much lower price, usually sixpence or one shilling, to the general public. They were often directly plagiarized from the original texts by anonymous authors, and this text is no exception (Koch 21).
This is the first page of text, showing the epigraphs at the beginning of the chapter.
There is no preface or introduction in this book, only a title page with the publisher and an illustration.
There are epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter. The introductory chapter features epigraphs by William Cowper and William Shakespeare, though they are uncredited. William Cowper’s comes from his poem, “The Task” (1785):
Nor rural sights, but rural sounds Exhilarate the spirit, and restore The tone of languid Nature
Shakespeare’s quote is from the play Cymbeline (1623):
Being scarce made up I mean, to man he had no apprehension Of roaring errors; for defect of judgement Is oft the cause of fear.
The quotes are slightly misstated, omitting the word “alone” after the word “sights” in the Cowper quote and exchanging “the effect” for “defect” in the Shakespeare quote. These quotes relate metaphorically to the content of the book, as do the rest of the epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter.
There were no reviews or advertisements published for this text, nor have there been any recent reprintings. As cheap literature—designed for quick entertainment, rather than as a longer, higher-quality novel—there has been little scholarly work on this text. There are a few texts related to Manfredi, but it is unlikely that they were based on the chapbook and more likely that they were based on the original novel by Sarah Lansdell. A play by William Barrymore was published in 1815 entitled Manfredi the Mysterious Hermit: A Romantic Melodrama in Two Acts, and was performed in New York at Fox’s Old Bowery Theatre in 1863 (“Manfredi, the Mysterious Hermit”). WorldCat lists another play published anonymously in 1841 called Manfredi, or, the Mysterious Hermit: in two acts; the original is held at the British Library. There are no contemporary digital copies of this text, but there is an archival copy of a scan of the Chapter 1 introductory page on WorldCat. Additionally, there is a digital copy of Manfredi, Baron St. Osmund. An old English Romance. In two volumes by Sarah Lansdell on the database Eighteenth Century Collections Online.
Narrative Point of View
Manfredi, or the Mysterious Hermit, an Interesting and Original Romance has a straightforward narrative style. The third-person, omniscient narrator is not a character in the text but has consistent knowledge of and sometimes opinions on the actions of the primary characters and the events of the story. The story is not told from a purely objective, detached viewpoint, but one that is colored by the opinions of the anonymous narrator. The style of narration feels like relaxed, conversational storytelling. The sentences are densely packed with information in shorter, plain sentences that focus more on the events of the story than complex language, possibly because this book was plagiarized from a much longer version of the story. The narrator gives some insight into the feelings of the characters, but it is told matter-of-factly in the same manner as the events of the story.
Sample Passage:
PETER according to his promise hastened to the garden of the palace, “Ah” said he “tired of staying—these Indian manners, do not suit us Englishmen—Mr. Hermit seems too genteel to keep lis [sic.] time.” While he was indulging himself, a servnt [sic.] passed. “Where are you going” enquired Peer, “Going” answered the man, “did you never knay [sic.] a lady in a hurry when she was going to be married? I seek the Marquis.” “I can assure you he is not at this part of the garden, but see comes this way.” “My Lord.” said the man, anessing [sic.] Alteri, “the ceremony awaits your presence.” “Ah,” he said mournfully, “a few moments repite [sic.], the air of this garden, refreshes me and will make me more cheerful for the ceremony.” Then tuning [sic.] to Hugo, he enquired, “What makes your father eye me so,—does he suspect aught: Peter, me honest friend, can I serve you.”— “No my Lord, nor can I serve you—I am honest,” replied, the suspecting fisherman; “Be cautious, father, or you’ll offend the Marquis,” said Hugo— “Be cautious Hugo” retorted Peter, “or you’ll offend your father.” With this unpalatable speech, he left the garden, and Alteri, fearful of offending the powerful Marquis Vincenza and his beautiful daughter, went to fulfil the vows which he tought [sic.] would purchase his future bliss. (16)
This passage uses a concise, informative narrative style to maintain clarity and provide the audience with the most succinct description possible. This has the effect of making sure that the text is not too long or unwieldy. The use of quotes and description of the characters’ feelings appeals to relatable emotions and interesting dialogue that is frequently engaging and interesting. Similarly, the use of dramatic language makes for a gripping narrative.
Summary
Manfredi, or the Mysterious Hermit, an Interesting and Original Romance opens with a description of the castle of Vincenza, which is on a lake in Italy. A nice man who honored the family line owned the castle, and he remained dignified but still treated the peasants well. He married a nice woman and had a kind, intelligent daughter named Marcelina. The neighboring Marquis Altieri wants to marry Marcelina.
A mysterious hermit lives across the lake from them, and the ferryman Peter recognizes him. Peter’s wife is Paulina, his daughter is Jacintha, and his son is Hugo, who works for Marquis Altieri. A rough, yet charming young man named Stephano who likes Jacintha wants to know who the hermit is. Peter comes home and tells them that he found a portrait of Olivia Altieri, Marquis Altieri’s first wife, in the hermit’s house. Hugo takes it from him, saying that he is going to put it back in the hermit’s house because stealing is wrong, while Stephano sets off to learn about the hermit. The hermit comes to see Peter and accuses him of stealing the portrait from his house, to which Peter replies that it is being put back and confronts him about it looking like Olivia Altieri. The hermit says Marquis Altieri is a villain and will prove it if he comes to the garden at one in the morning. Following this, the hermit brings Olivia, who is miraculously still alive, into his cave. Stephano watches secretly from the side. They talk about how Marcelina is going to be another victim of Marquis Altieri if the marriage goes through, but Manfredi, the hermit, has a plan to expose him to the world as a terrible person. Olivia only wishes that he spares his life because he is still her husband.
This page of text is from the middle of the book, showing a patched hole.
Meanwhile, Hugo brings the portrait of Olivia Altieri to Marquis Altieri, not the hermit’s house, and tells him that Olivia is still alive living with Manfredi. They collude that they must disguise themselves to go to the hermit and kill her. Stephano, ever ill-mannered, is in Manfredi’s house beginning to eat his food and make himself comfortable when he hears Hugo’s voice outside the door and hides while Marquis Altieri and Hugo come in and search the house. Manfredi comes home and knows someone is inside from the disturbance in the entryway. Stephano reveals himself to Manfredi and warns him that the Marquis is there and he is in danger. Manfredi gives Olivia to him, telling him to guard her and take her away with him. Manfredi and the Marquis talk, and the Marquis asks him if Olivia is alive and if anyone else knows. Manfredi says only he and a peasant know, then calls him by his name, exposing his disguise, and says he will see him tomorrow. The Marquis is terrified for his life. Hugo rushes Manfredi, but he is prepared and pulls two pistols and retreats to the back of the cave. Hugo wants to chase him, but their guns aren’t loaded anymore and his are.
Stephano and Olivia make it to the cottage and Jacintha tries to visit but Stephano teases her and won’t let her in because Olivia is there. She becomes upset and pretends to leave but actually stays to eavesdrop. Stephano recognizes that she is upset but doesn’t take it seriously. Jacintha hears Stephano presume that he can win her forgiveness by crying in front of her and pretending to kill himself and sees Olivia through the window, which causes her to get extremely jealous and vow revenge. Manfredi arrives at Stephano’s cottage and reveals his plan to save Marcelina.
The next day, Peter comes to the garden and finds the Marquis. He pretends like he doesn’t suspect anything, but is curt. The Marquis goes to the wedding. Everyone is at the wedding, and it is beautiful but very solemn. Marcelina’s father promises her and his property to Marquis Altieri. Just then, a stranger bursts in and says the Marquis has forgotten Olivia, then sits down to stay when pressed by the Marquis to reveal how he knows this. It turns out the stranger was originally paid to kill Olivia but it didn’t happen. The Marquis says in confidence that it still can and tells him to meet him at the ruins. Peter bursts into the wedding with a letter to Vincenza stating that Olivia is alive and the Marquis is a villain. He denies it and demands to know where the accuser is. On cue, Manfredi comes in and says he can produce Olivia, and the wedding is postponed.
This page of text from the middle of the book shows a patched hole and wrinkled page.
The Marquis plots to ally himself with banditti to find Olivia before Manfredi can produce her. The Marquis and Hugo want to befriend the hermit, but the stranger says they must repent for that to happen. They reply that they never will and try to kill him but he’s too strong. He throws the Marquis on the ground and warns him to beware of tomorrow. He warns that Olivia is going to betray the Marquis.
The banditti and the hit man Spaldro begin their search. They find Jacintha and use her jealousy of Olivia to get her to reveal that she is in the cabin with Stephano. They find Olivia and are going to murder her there but decide that they don’t want to do it in front of Jacintha. They then try to move to the woods, but are stopped by Stephano and Jacintha. Stephano sends Jacintha to the castle to warn Marcelina’s father. Hugo stabs the stranger and leaves him to die on the ground.
An aside is given to the reader that explains the history between Manfredi and Olivia. It states that D’Estalla was a respected name in Tuscany, and that the count with that name had two respected sons who were best friends. The elder one provided well for the younger even though he inherited all of the wealth. They each married and had a child with high-status women from the court, who were Olivia and Manfredi. Manfredi’s mother died following his birth, and his father died of grief soon after, so he was raised with Olivia. He grew to love her romantically, not as a sister, but she didn’t love him back and instead liked Altieri. They were married and it was okay for a while, but then he wanted to marry Marcelina for money because he lost everything gambling. The count was ill and entrusted the care of Olivia to Manfredi because he strongly distrusts the Marquis. Manfredi disguised himself as Spaldro, the hit man, and instead of killing Olivia hid her away with him.
Coming back to the present day, Stephano gets into the castle using Hugo’s name, then lets down the gates to let Peter in. He is stopped by Hugo who also wants to come in, but he won’t let him. It turns out that Manfredi is wounded but not dead, and comes to find them. The banditti betray the Marquis by not killing Olivia. Hugo and the Marquis are so desperate to find Olivia that they vow to set the castle on fire if they don’t capture her. Peter and Stephano use a boat in the moat to linger beneath the window of Olivia’s cell with a crowbar. The Marquis is about to fire a cannon on the castle with the explosive charges lain but then sees them escaping with his wife! In the confusion he still orders Hugo to fire, and unable to disobey his master, he does. Olivia, Peter, and Stephano escape from the fire while Manfredi fights viciously and kills the Marquis.
In the end, Olivia is very sad over her husband dying but eventually agrees to marry Manfredi. Marcelina marries a man from France, and Hugo dies along with the other people who fought against Manfredi. Stephano and Jacintha get married. Manfredi’s house is revered by everyone across the land who learns the story, and Olivia builds a church there to commemorate her savior. A pious recluse begins to live in Manfredi’s old house.
Bibliography
Barrymore, William. Manfredi the Mysterious Hermit: A Romantic Melodrama in Two Acts. London, 1815. 1970. Print.
Koch, Angela. “Gothic Bluebooks in the Princely Library of Corvey and Beyond.” Cardiff Corvey: Reading the Romantic Text, Issue 9 (Dec. 2002), pp. 5–25.
Manfredi, or The Mysterious Hermit, an Interesting and Original Romance, London, G. Stevens, 1790s.
Manfredi, Or, the Mysterious Hermit: In Two Acts. London, Submitted to Lord Chamberlain, 1841.
In this 1803 chapbook, jealousy, secrecy, kidnapping, and murder erupt as Orlando pursues romance with Isabella, Octavia, and Adela—three sisters.
Material
History
At first glance, this book looks very frail and worn. With
dimensions of 10.2cm x 16.5cm and a thickness of about 0.5cm, it is very small
and thin. The cover is completely blank, and it is only yellowed paper (there is
no kind of leather or hardback cover on the front). Also, there is no back
cover of the book, it is just a piece of paper with writing from the beginning
of another story.
The title page for Three Ghosts of the Forest
The title of this particular gothic book has a few different
forms. Because the frail cover of the book is blank, the first place where the
title appears is on the backside of the cover. In this location, the title is Three Ghosts of the Forest. The font of
the title is relatively large, and it is fancy because the letters are outlined
in black but have no color on the inside of the letters. The only other
information on this page is the illustration as well as the artists’ names
under the illustration. On the title page, which faces the inside of the cover,
the title of the book is printed as The
Three Ghosts of the Forest, A Tale of Horror. An Original Romance. The font
here is solid black and much larger. The title page features a short four-line
poem, and some decorations are present on the title page which include black
lines separating the different parts of the title and separating the poem from
the list of publishers underneath. It also includes the city of publication,
London, and the year it was published, 1803. The decorative black line also
appears below the word “finnis” on page 34. Once again, on the first page of
the text, the title reads The Three
Ghosts of the Forest. While this book has a title printed within it several
times, it lacks an author’s name. This component does not appear anywhere
throughout the book.
The novel also contains a frontispiece illustration. It is a black and white picture of two women wearing long white dresses, and they are surrounded by trees and grass. There is no caption beneath this picture, but the shorter version of the title is written underneath it. The artists’ names, however, appear underneath the illustration.
One of the most compelling parts of this book is a piece of
patchwork that one of the original owners glued onto the back of the title
page. There must have been a rip on this page, so somebody took the liberty to
paste a fragment of a piece of paper over the rip. The patch has cursive handwriting
in ink on it, and it is amazing to think that somebody wrote that so long ago.
Other than the University of Virginia Special Collections Library stamp on the
front of the book, this is the only mark of ownership.
This page features a hole over what appears to be the word “virtue”
This book has a relatively small font just because the book
itself has such small dimensions, but it is not difficult to read the text. The
text is not particularly closely set. Surprisingly, the margins of this book
vary by page. Sometimes, as on page 5, the margins are much thinner on the right
side than on the left, although on page 27 for example the margins are
extremely crooked. As a result, the text is slanted on the page. This is a
great example of the book’s individuality; every copy probably does not have
the same margins since the printer that was used obviously printed some of the
pages crooked.
This fragile book lacks a strong binding. The binding is
paper, and it is held together by strings. There are no decorations on the
outside of the book, and what would be the back binding is just the first few
sentences of another different story. The book’s paper is very worn and
yellowed. Many of the pages are stained with dark spots. The paper is thin and
brittle, and page 13 actually has a hole in it which impends the reader from
seeing one of the words.
Textual
History
This
book has an epigraph on the title page in the form of a short four-line poem.
This poem appears to be original to this story, and it functions to give the
reader an idea of some of the story’s themes. The narrator of the poem wants to
escape his conscience because it will not let him forget some of the worst
things he has ever done. This is relevant to the story since Orlando regrets
his crimes so deeply by the end of the book.
Illustration showing Isabella’s ghost warning Adela about Orlando
There
is little information available about the contemporary reception of The Three Ghosts of the Forest. However,
the work does appear in several modern examinations of Gothic literature. One
example of this book appearing in a twentieth-century work is Ann B. Tracy’s The Gothic
Novel 1790–1830: Plot Summaries and Index to Motifs (1981).
This resource provides a summary of the story, as well as summaries of many
other gothic stories from the same time period, all organized alphabetically
(177–81). It is interesting to note that despite the alphabetical organization,
The Three Ghosts of the Forest also
has thematic links with its surrounding stories. The summary featured before The Three Ghosts of the Forest is of a
book called Tales of the Dead that
also features ghosts. The book that is summarized after The Three Ghosts of the Forest is called Rosalind de Tracy; while this summary does not include ghosts, it
includes elements similar to The Three
Ghosts of the Forest such as marriage problems and death.
The Three Ghosts of the Forest also appears in Toni Wein’s 2002 work, British Identities, Heroic Nationalisms, and the Gothic Novel, 1764–1824.
Wein comments on the unlikeliness of Isabella being able to escape her
captivity because a servant accidentally left the door open. She also mentions
the anonymous author’s message that indulgence and absence of religion make for
a terrible person, as well as the message that wealth has too much influence on
people and that it can keep good people from seeing the wrongdoings of evil
people (161–2). Something that is extremely interesting is the fact that in
this source, the gothic book that is discussed on the next page is called Tales of the Dead, which is the exact
same book that The Three Ghosts of the
Forest was grouped with in Tracy’s work. According to Wein, Tales of the Dead also includes themes
of economic corruption (163).
The Three Ghosts of the Forest is also featured in Franz J. Potter’s The
History of Gothic Publishing, 1800–1835. This 2005 work provides
information regarding the publishing of many gothic books, but it only mentions
The Three Ghosts of the Forest once. Surprisingly,
this source states that the author of The
Three Ghosts of the Forest is named Alexander Thomson. No other references
of the book in other sources mention an author, and there is no author listed
anywhere within the actual book, so it is unclear where this information
originates. The History of Gothic
Publishing also states that the book was “repackaged…into blue-book format”
in 1803 (54).
There is a contemporary digital
copy of this book, which can be found with the full text on Google Books. It
features the same exact image that is on the hard copy of the book in the
Sadleir-Black Collection. It even includes the first three pages of the story The Miraculous Preservation of Androcles which
is exactly what the UVA Library’s copy includes at the end of the text. A
difference between the two copies of these books is that the online version
includes red stamps on some of the pages that say “British Museum 1560,” indicating
its unique history of ownership.
Narrative
Point of View
The Three Ghosts of
the Forest includes both first- and third-person narration. The book is
narrated in the third person for most of the first twenty-two pages of the
book, and then it is narrated in the first person until the second paragraph of
page thirty-three. After that, the remaining page is narrated again in the
third person. The third-person narrator is anonymous and does not appear in the
text. The narration in the third-person sections feels very emotionless and
detached because, at some points, the narrator simply states the plot points. At
other times, though, the anonymous narrator provides the reader with the
characters’ emotions and processes of reasoning. The interpolated first-person
narrative, which begins on page twenty-two is marked by a title, “The
Confession of Orlando.” Orlando is the first-person narrator, and he gives more
insight into his own feelings and reasons for his actions while explaining his
point of view from his death bed. His narration feels very straightforward, as
he is confessing and finally providing important information to help the reader
understand the plot of the story.
Sample Passage of Third-Person Narration:
The affrighted ruffians fled, leaving the wretched Octavia, unknowing whether she would live or die, in the forest—but she died in great agony about an hour later. (16)
Sample Passage of First-Person Narration:
I was left heir to a plentiful fortune, but the indulgence I had long enjoyed now led me to associate with what are called men of spirit; but never having met with any enlightened character to warn me of my evil, to shun those men of spirit that I thought wise, but were totally living under the idea of their own self knowledge and protection, having no knowledge of God, so that I was living like a wild man of the woods. (22–23)
The third-person narration is significant to the
story because it has a way of distancing the characters from the reader. The
description of Octavia’s death is very brief and abrupt. The absence of any of
her last thoughts or wishes makes it difficult for the reader to empathize with
her or mourn her death as a character. On the other hand, Orlando’s
first-person narration allows readers to understand precisely how he is
feeling. There is a heavy emphasis on circumstances and fate versus free will
in his portion of the story. He appears to have a lack of agency which is
caused by his circumstance that he is surrounded by ungodly men. Attributing
his poor decisions to fate, he does not even consider the possibility of taking
control and seeking out godly men who can help him change his ways. Octavia,
while also lacking agency due to the fact that she is killed, does not get to
have a long first-person narrative before her death. Readers are only given the
in-depth perspective of the single male character in the story rather than also
getting the perspective of one of the many female characters. This suggests
that although both female and male characters lack agency, only the male
character is important enough—and has enough agency as a storyteller—to give a
testimony before death.
Summary
This story begins with an introduction of a few of the main
characters. The Baron Arnhalt lives in the Chateau, and he has three daughters:
Isabella, Octavia, and Adela. He plans to leave an equal share of his fortune
to each of his daughters when he dies, and if any of them were to die
unmarried, he would leave that portion to his nephew, Orlando. Orlando is also
a wealthy man, and he wishes to marry one of the three daughters. Isabella is
the oldest daughter, who has very good manners and is described as being “noble”
(A2). Octavia is the second oldest daughter; she is artful, witty, and pretty.
Adela, the youngest of the three, is described by the narrator as being very
similar to Isabella, with an almost identical personality. Their father dies
when Isabella is eighteen, and Orlando does not know which daughter he prefers
yet.
Orlando starts to visit the Chateau much more frequently
after the death of his uncle. He is able to rule out Adela as a possible suitor
because she is being educated in a convent and he has not seen her in several
years. He likes Isabella the best, but although she likes him as a person, she
does not like him romantically. Octavia, though, is in love with him, and she
wishes he would see her the way he sees Isabella.
This page features a handmade patch
Octavia makes friends with Orlando, and she tells Orlando
that she will try to convince Isabella to accept his offers of marriage, but
Octavia is not as innocent as she appears to be. Isabella had previously been
in love with a man named Honorio, but he started to prefer Octavia. Isabella is
such a good person that she encourages them to be together despite her love for
Honorio.
Soon after, Honorio and Octavia are married. Once Isabella
knows Honorio is with Octavia instead of her, she falls in love with a man who
does not have much money. Honorio is not happy being Octavia’s husband, and
they do not live together happily. Three months after their wedding, he is
accidentally killed in the forest by ruffians. He hates being with Octavia so
much that very soon after their wedding he made his will and left her basically
nothing. The story returns to the present moment when Octavia assumes that now
that she is a widow, Orlando will pursue her, but he still fancies Isabella.
One day, Orlando gets so fed up by the fact that Isabella
does not love him that he and Octavia arrange for a group of people to kidnap
her when she is outside alone to get some fresh air. Isabella finds herself in
a furnished room with heavy bars on the doors and windows to prevent her
escape. She is given anything that she wants or needs, and after a week of
being kidnapped, she has nothing to complain about other than the fact that she
wonders why she was taken away and wishes to be back at home. She also worries
about how Octavia is doing not knowing where her sister is, when in fact
Octavia is partly the reason for her kidnap. On the sixth day of her
kidnapping, a disguised man comes into the room. He tells Isabella that she can
be freed if she agrees to be his mistress, and he gives her three days to
decide. After the three days have passed, he returns, and when he speaks this
time, Isabella realizes that it is the voice of her cousin Orlando. He throws
off his disguise, and she cannot believe he did such a thing to her. She scolds
him and asks if he understands God’s laws, and after her speech, Orlando tells
her that Octavia has him under her spell and that she is the reason he did
this. He also tells Isabella that Octavia wants her to suffer and wants to take
her fortune. Isabella is devastated by this news. She tells Orlando that if all
her suffering is Octavia’s fault, she’ll return home and forget that he
kidnapped her, but he tells her she must stay and be his mistress. Orlando leaves
the room, reasoning that he will either keep her there until she dies unmarried
or convince her to marry him, so either way he can receive her fortune.
News of Isabella’s disappearance has reached Adela’s
convent. She decides to return home rather than take the veil. When Adela
returns, Orlando sees how similar she is to Isabella and develops feelings for
her. Whenever he thinks of releasing Isabella, he decides against it since
Adela, his new object of affection, would surely hate him for doing that to her
sister.
Octavia, still annoyed that Orlando does not love her,
decides to threaten to tell Adela all that he has done. Octavia and Orlando
agree to meet the next day at Orlando’s castle. Orlando then arranges for four
men to stop Octavia on her way to his castle and take her to a distant convent
and force her to take the veil. As Octavia is walking to the castle, a storm
rolls in, and as she approaches the spot where Honorio was killed, the four men
jump at her and one of them accidentally pierces her with his sword as she
tries to escape. As this happens, Honorio’s ghost appears and says that his
death had been avenged, with the same sword that killed him.
The same night, Isabella escapes from Orlando’s castle when
a servant accidentally leaves the door open. As she runs through the woods, a
robber comes out from behind a tree and takes everything she has, stabbing her
to death afterwards.
When Adela hears of the deaths of her two sisters, she has
to be carried to her bed and spends the next two weeks in a frenzied state of
mind. When Orlando hears the news, he is not shocked about Octavia, but he is
surprised to hear of Isabella’s death. Rather than dwell on depressing
thoughts, he decides to go see Adela and try to win her hand in marriage. Adela
agrees to marry him after the time of mourning has passed, not knowing of his
involvement in her sisters’ lives.
One day, after Adela visited Orlando, he was walking Adela
home just after sunset and the ghost of Octavia appeared. Octavia’s ghost tells
Orlando that his time is near and then disappears. Orlando leads a distressed
Adela to the end of the forest, but before they get out, Isabella and Honorio’s
ghosts appear as well. Honorio looks angrily at Orlando, while Adela follows
Isabella’s ghost away from Orlando. Once they arrive at the bank of a small
river, Isabella’s ghost tells Adela not to marry Orlando because he has murder
on his conscience. After that, the ghost disappears. Although she feels torn
because she loves Orlando, Adela decides never to see him again and runs home.
The next day, Orlando wakes up with a terrible sickness, and
he fears that Octavia’s ghost’s prediction is coming true. Adela only agrees to
go visit Orlando because it is his dying request. When she gets there, she’s
shocked at his sickly appearance and he starts telling her his confession of
all the evil that he has done.
He starts his story at the beginning of his life, talking
about how he was spoiled as a child and how his parents died when he was
eighteen, leaving him a fortune. He lived an indulgent life, spending most of
his inheritance and blaming his bad character on the unreligious people that he
surrounded himself with. When Adela’s father died, he figured he should marry
one of his daughters in order to gain their third of the fortune. He tells the
story of how he loved Isabella and how he and Octavia conspired to get Octavia
and Honorio together. Orlando became friends with Honorio and would always talk
to him about how great Octavia was and how awful Isabella was, leading Honorio
to marry Octavia. However, shortly after being married, Octavia told Orlando
how terrible it was being married to someone who did not actually love her, and
she requested that Orlando get rid of Honorio somehow. Orlando sent hired
ruffians to kill Honorio, but afterwards, the guilt consumed him. Octavia did
not regret it at all, and she expected to become rich by inheriting Honorio’s
fortune. Although, as we already know, he left her nearly nothing in his will. Octavia
then worried about the fact that Isabella was to marry a poor man, because she
knew he would not want Isabella to keep helping Octavia financially. For this
reason, Orlando says Octavia convinced him to kidnap Isabella. He felt very
guilty after this and after acting odd around Octavia, they both knew that they
were not on the same side anymore. One day, after Octavia left his house, an
anonymous man requested to speak to Orlando about something urgent. He told
Orlando that Octavia planned to poison him when they met the next day, so
Orlando decided to hire the same ruffians from Honorio’s death to kidnap
Octavia and take her to a convent. The ruffians return, though, to report to
him that they had accidentally killed her and that they saw Honorio’s ghost.
With both Octavia and Isabella dead, Orlando figured he could now pursue Adela
without anything getting in his way. Octavia’s ghost haunted him constantly, saying she would not rest
until he was dead.
Finished
with his story, Orlando tells Adela to be happy that she escaped a terrible
sister as well as a marriage with a terrible man. He begs God for mercy, and
Adela cries for him. Happy to receive her pity, he finally dies. At his
funeral, Adela thinks of how she wishes to escape this wicked world, so she
decides to go live in the convent, donating one third of her fortune to the
convent and the other two thirds to those she thought worthy. Whoever she
donates the final two thirds of her fortune to remains ambiguous in the text.
Bibliography
Potter,
Franz J. The History of Gothic
Publishing, 1800–1835,
Exhuming the Trade, Palgrave
Macmillan, 2005.
The Three Ghosts of the Forest, A Tale of Horror. An
Original Romance. London, D. N. Shury, 1803.
Tracy, Ann
B. The Gothic Novel 1790–1830: Plot Summaries and Index to Motifs, Lexington: University Press of
Kentucky, 2014.
Wein,
Toni. British Identities, Heroic
Nationalisms, and the Gothic Novel, 1764–1824,
Palgrave, 2002.
In this 1845 Eugène Sue novel, the Female Bluebeard is believed to have killed her past three husbands and now has three lovers: a pirate captain, a hide dealer, and a cannibal.
Material
History
The Female Bluebeard title page
The Female Bluebeard:
or the Adventurer is originally a French text by Eugène Sue; this edition presents
the English translation. This edition does not give the original French title,
but the French edition is entitled L’Aventurier
ou la Barbe-bleue, with the name Barbe-bleue, or Bluebeard, coming
from a French folk tale. In this edition, the full English title, The Female Bluebeard: or the Adventurer,
appears on the fifth page and across every set of adjacent pages. Additionally,
the author’s name appears on the fourth page under an illustration of the
author, and again on the fifth page, under the title. It is on the fifth page
that the book also gives the name of the illustrator, Walmsley, and the
publisher, W. Strange.
The translator of this particular English edition is not specified, but we do know it was done in London in November of 1844, and the copy was published by William Strange in his office at 21, Paternoster Row, London, England in 1845. The text features thirty-four illustrations by Walmsley, and a separate epilogue to the story entitled “The Abbey of Saint Quentin.” The translator provides the reasoning behind the epilogue, noting that Eugène Sue was notorious for tying up the rest of his stories very quickly and in an “unsatisfactory manner” (286). Thus, this additional story gives a finished outcome and resolves any unanswered questions.
Translator’s Note for The Female Bluebeard
The translator prefaces both the full story and the epilogue. The epilogue was published separately by T.C. Savill, Printer, 107, St. Martin’s Lane in London.
The book is entirely unique, the cover of the
book being a hard paper board which has been hand painted with a marbling
technique. This particular cover has a muted, gray-green color with small
swirls of reds, yellows, and blacks mixed in. The spine and the corners of the
book are bound with dark brown leather, and the spine has both seven sets of
parallel gilded lines going across it and a shortened version of the title, Female Bluebeard, also in gilt on the
top of the spine. The book is 12.5cm by 18.5cm,
and the edges of the cover and around the leather are worn. The binding of the
book is still well intact; however, it is fragile upon opening it.
The opening of Chapter 1
Inside of the book, the first couple pages are
end sheets of a thicker, more brittle paper, and the rest are of a softer,
thinner sheet. There is a table of contents after the title page with both the
chapter names and corresponding pages indicated. There are thirty-eight
chapters plus an additional two for the epilogue. The pages of the book are
identified with numbers indicated on the top left and top right of the pages,
consecutively. There is a total of two-hundred and seventy-six pages for The Female Bluebeard: or the Adventurer,
and the full story including the epilogue concludes on page three-hundred and
six. Roman numerals, appearing at the bottom of some select pages, going up to
the numeral XX, or twenty, were indicators to the people who bound the books
which sections went in order.
The font of the text is rather small and closely
set, and the margins are not very large. The illustrations appear both at the
beginning of some chapters with the first letter of the first word in that
sentence incorporated into the drawing, as well as throughout the chapters.
They are all done in black ink by wood cuts. The illustrations don’t feature a
caption, but they reflect scenes from that particular page or section. In some
of the illustrations, the name of the illustrator, Walmsley, can be found
cleverly hidden. For instance, in the opening of the chapter there is an
illustration in which Walmsley’s name appears under the shadow of a fallen
candlestick.
This particular book has some marks from previous
ownership and from natural weathering. There is a name on the first page of the
first chapter, written in pencil and signed in cursive, as well as a number
scrawled in the corner of one of the first pages of endpapers. The significance
of both is unknown. The pages show some browning and staining from air
pollution interacting with the books over time, but little to no stains are
from human error.
Textual
History
Portrait of Eugene Sue printed in The Female Bluebeard
The author of The
Female Bluebeard: or the Adventurer, Eugène Sue, was well known across Europe, his French texts
being adapted into every European language. He was lauded as the nautical
romance author of Europe. His early works, generally maritime and romance
focused, were immensely popular and enjoyed, but ultimately viewed as immoral
and depraved. Many authors and publications were quick to defend Eugène
Sue’s own moral character though, and his popularity in France led him to be
elected as a representative of the people. After publishing several books then
going into debt, Sue decided to leave Paris and abandon his upper-class roots
to be among the people. This prompted his most popular novels, Mathilde and Les Mystères de Paris, which gave rise to many imitations
and put him in the spotlight as a great socialist philosopher and novelist. Sue
wrote some of the dramatic adaptations of these novels as well as for some of
his other works, including the
Morne-Au-Diable, an adaptation of The
Female Bluebeard: or the Adventurer (“Eugene Sue: His Life and Works” 54–66).
The Female Bluebeard
was published in several manners. The book could be purchased whole as a single
volume, but there was also the option to buy it in sections. It was sold in
twenty parts in a magazine, for a price of one penny each. The sections
contained two of the illustrations each. This twenty-number option could be
bought by the publisher in London at 21 Paternoster-row, or “at all booksellers
in England, Ireland, and Scotland” (The
Standard 1). The W. Strange edition from 21 Paternoster Row, in 1846, just
published, could also be purchased whole for three sickles (“Popular Books” 32).
The English version of the text was published by several companies in London
and by one in New York. The first English edition was the London edition by W.
Strange. The New York version of L’Aventurier
ou la Barbe Bleue, published in 1844 by J. Winchester, is titled
differently as The Female Bluebeard; or
Le Morne au Diable, taking from the name of the Female Bluebeard’s
habitation. It is only one hundred and fifteen pages. The London publisher,
Stokesley pr. owned by J.S. Pratt, likewise, used this title in their
publication of the novel in 1845. This edition contained two volumes, measuring
445 pages, and a two-page insert about the other novels published by Pratt at
Stokesley. The French text was translated to English for this edition by
Charles Wright. Later, in 1898, The
Female Bluebeard had several of its chapters published weekly in a London
newspaper on “tales of mystery,” and it was advertised as a story of “love,
intrigue, and adventure” (“Tales of Mystery” 241). There are several advertisements regarding the editions and
where they could be bought. Stock of The
Female Bluebeard was even auctioned off by a book collector at his house,
boasting a thousand perfect copies of the eight-volume edition, illustrated
with woodcuts with about one hundred and ten reams (“Sales by Auction” 546).
Translator’s Preface for 1845 W. Strange edition of The Female Bluebeard
The Female Bluebeard:
Or the Adventurer was adapted for the stage several times. It appeared in
England for one of the first times at the Drury Lane Theater in an adaptation
entitled Adventurer in the Fiend’s
Mountain (Amusements, &C
246). It was also adapted into a play by C. A Somerset Esquire at an
amphitheater in Manchester (“Provincial Theatricals”). Both performances seemed
to attract favorable attention and were deemed by the press a success. The
novel likely had many more shows, as Eugène Sue himself, wrote an adaptation of it.
There were mixed reviews for The Female Bluebeard, as it did not quite capture the hearts of the
people as much as many of his other works did. This novel, again, brought
scrutiny on Sue’s character. One critic published that The Female Bluebeard was “licentious,” leading the translator of
the W. Strange edition to write to the paper and defend the novel’s values. The
translator argued that while not many French novels possessed a moral to their
story, The Female Bluebeard did, and
a valuable one at that (“Literature:
The Female Bluebeard”). Moreover, there were some reviews that raved of
its success, calling it “the most curious and exciting work” produced by Eugène
Sue (“Popular Books” 32).
This particular text is not well attended to by scholars, as
Eugene Sue produced a plethora of novels which garnered more attention and
acclaim. His novel, Les Mystères de Paris, or The Mysteries of Paris, inspired several other
locations-based mysteries such as the
Mysteries of London and the Mysteries
of Munich, and has been published since by the company Penguin Classics.
His novel, the Wandering Jew, has
also been published by modern companies, and has gained more attention,
particularly for its strong anti-Catholic sentiments. In many of his popular
novels, his socialist ideology attracted scholars and inspired a great deal of
the emerging writers at the time. Sue’s work is thought to have influenced Charles
Dickens, Victor Hugo, and Alexandre Dumas. Alexandre Dumas wrote the biography
of his friend and fellow writer, Eugène Sue (“Eugene Sue: His Life and Works” 54).
Narrative
Point of View
The Female Bluebeard:
or The Adventurer is narrated in the third person, not through a specific
character, but by an anonymous narrator. The narrator continuously interjects
throughout the novel to guide the audience’s reading along, directly addressing
the reader as a willing participant in learning the history of the characters.
The narration has a sense of self-awareness, being cognizant of and
acknowledging the ridiculousness of some of its characters as well as several
aspects of the story. There is a controlled omniscience throughout, as the
characters’ emotions and motives are blatantly revealed. However, regarding
some secrets, the author chooses to withhold their answers until it is needed
for the plot. The narration is rich, striking a balance between complex and
uniquely singular characters, vibrant and multi-sensory descriptions, and a
wild and dynamic plot. Finally, some parts of the narration are left in French,
as there was not quite as fitting a translation in English, either because of
word play or connotations not being expressed in the same manner once
translated.
Sample Passage:
We beg, therefore, to inform the reader, who has, doubtless, long since seen through the disguise, and penetrated the mystery of the Boucanier, the Flibustier, and the Carib, that these disguises had been successively worn by the same man, who was none other than THE NATURAL SON OF CHARLES THE SECOND, JAMES DUKE OF MONMOUTH, EXECUTED IN LONDON, THE 15TH OF JULY, 1685, AS GUILTY OF HIGH TREASON.
We hope such of our readers as have had any ill opinion of the Female Bluebeard within their hearts will now do her ample justice. (141)
The narration, particularly in this paragraph, capitalizes
on the involvement of the reader in the analysis and reading of the text,
creating a greater sense of investment on the reader’s part and making each
reveal that much more impactful. While, the narrator gives the reader the
benefit of the doubt of likely predicting the mystery element, this
simultaneously invites the unaware reader to look retrospectively at the story
and recall any clues or foreshadowing, keeping the reader participating.
Through the inclusion of the reader throughout the novel, the narrator grabs
the readers’ attention, continuously checking in on the progress of their
interpretation and ideas about the text. By actually calling forth to the
reader, each reader is figured as a singular person whose participation matters
to the story, rather than having the story appeal to the emotions of many. This
feigned exchange creates an even greater sense of a tale being told by word of
mouth, and holds the possibility of investing the reader more into the story.
As this connection is made, and mutual involvement and shared knowledge is
established, the narrator is more effective in dispelling any of the reader’s
disbeliefs or disparagements against the story. In the above sample passage,
the narration dispels any aspersions on the Female Bluebeard’s character. The
narrator, by voicing what the reader has “doubtless” thought, creates this idea
that the reader’s and narrator’s opinion and view of the story will logically
match up throughout the story, not just in this one singular instance.
Therefore, the narration figures the reader as likely to go along with the rest
of what the narrator presents and take it as truthful to the history. Thus,
through the inclusion of the reader in the progress of the story, the author is
able to give the feel of a spoken tale and interestingly sway the reader to
accept what the author says as fact.
Summary
The novel opens up on the ship, the Unicorn, which has
presently left la Rochelle for the island, Martinique, and is occupied most
usually by Captain Daniel, a small crew, Reverend Father Griffon, and most
unusually, by the Gascon, the Chevalier Polyphemus Amador de Croustillac. It is
May of 1690, and France is at war with England. The Chevalier de Croustillac
has chosen to wait until a less conspicuous time to reveal himself from where
he has hidden on board the ship in order to get safe passage to Martinique and
eventually, to America. Being a man of great immodesty and foolhardiness, he
assumes a spot at supper with no word on how he arrived on board the moving
vessel. The Chevalier manages to evade all questioning of his mysterious
appearance on board the ship through extreme flattery, party tricks, and by the
promise to only confess his intentions to Father Griffon. Nearing the end of
the journey to Martinique, Captain Daniel offers the Chevalier de Croustillac a
place on board his ship as a permanent source of entertainment, and Reverend
Father Griffon, wanting to help the poor adventurer, offers for him to reside
with the Reverend at his house in Macouba, where he can attempt to earn some
capital. However, this all changes when word of the Female Bluebeard is passed
around the ship and meets the ears of the Chevalier.
Angelina, the Female Bluebeard, reads in her gilded bed
The Female Bluebeard, like her folktale namesake, Bluebeard,
is believed to have killed her past three husbands, and currently holds the
abominable company of three ugly lovers: Hurricane, the pirate captain; a hide
dealer boucanier coined, “Tear-out-the-soul”; and a Carib cannibal from
Crocodile Creek, Youmaale. Despite these alarming and less than spectacular
qualities possessed by the elusive Female Bluebeard, the Chevalier de
Croustillac decides that he will show her a true gentleman and win her heart,
and with it her fortune, regardless of the potential of her being old and ugly.
And so, the Chevalier decides to go with Father Griffon, if only to leave after
a night’s repose. This plan is met with strong disagreement from the Father,
for he knows some truth to the story of the Female Bluebeard having received
confession from a man who encountered her at her home on the Devil’s Mount, or
the Morne au Diable. While staying with Father Griffon and resting for supper,
a threat to forget his pursuit of the Female Bluebeard comes to the Chevalier
in the form of a note tied to an arrow which narrowly misses his flesh. The
Chevalier goes against both warnings, sneaks out of Father Griffon’s care, and
embarks on a harrowing trek to the habitation of the Female Bluebeard at the
Morne au Diable.
It is during this time that we catch a glimpse of the
equally daunting and troubling journey to the Morne au Diable, full of danger
and risk of death, of the Colonel Rutler, a partisan of the new king of
England, William of Orange, who is tasked with a mission which will later be
revealed.
Back at the Morne au Diable, the Female Bluebeard, revealed
to be exceptionally fine and beautiful, is seen flirting with a man named
Jacques, who she also lovingly calls Monsieur Hurricane. It is here that she
also learns that the Chevalier de Croustillac is after her hand in marriage,
and she, consequently, sends word to the Boucanier, Tear-out-the-soul, to bring
him to her.
The Chevalier de Croustillac, led by his gut and the
magnetism of his heart to the Female Bluebeard’s, stumbles into the Carib’s
camp, exhausted, bloodied, and starving. He is met with a feast of the most
unusual variety, and is led to the Morne au Diable, albeit with some feigned
protestation from the Boucanier. Upon arriving at the magnificent dwelling of
the Female Bluebeard, the Chevalier, wishing to impress the lady, requests a
change of clothes for his own sullied and ripped ones, and is put into the
garments of the Female Bluebeard’s late first husband.
On his journey to meet the Female Bluebeard, the Chevalier fights a group of feral cats
The Chevalier meets the Female Bluebeard, who we learn is
called Angelina, with great awe and wonderment, and attempts to inspire
Angelina with much of the same amazement and admiration that he holds for her.
Angelina bemuses the Chevalier, speaking falsities and making fun of the
Chevalier’s brash actions. She sticks close to her lovers, further aggravating
the mind and heart of the Chevalier. She does offer him a limited position as
her new husband, which shall end before a year is up through rather gruesome
means, an offer the Chevalier is reluctant to accept, aside from his previous
promises of marriage. However, Angelina recognizing that the Chevalier is not
falling for her murderous and sinful façade, relates to the Chevalier that her three
lovers are actually her guards, and her proposition to the Chevalier was made
to poke fun at him and amuse herself. She then proposes to make him a new offer
the next evening.
Meanwhile, we catch a glimpse of the interactions between
the nervous and sweaty governor, Monsieur le Baron de Rupinelle, and Monsieur
de Chemeraut, the envoy of France, aboard a French frigate, regarding a state
secret vested in the Morne au Diable and backed up by Father Griffon. Monsieur
de Chemeraut requests of the governor, ships with thirty of his best armed
guards and a ladder, and advances towards the Morne au Diable. Father Griffon
learns of their swift advance to the Devil’s Mount, and alarmed that they have
learned the secret that only he possesses and fearing the safety of la
Barbe-Bleue, he hurries to beat the French frigate to the Morne au Diable.
Colonel Rutler, who we learned of earlier, has at this moment, escaped great
perils and landed in the interior garden of the Morne au Diable, and is lying,
hidden, in wait.
Back at the Morne au Diable, the Chevalier’s rambling poetry
and protestations of love, are met with amusement and some fondness by la
Barbe-bleue or the Female Bluebeard. However, she relates to the Chevalier that
she was expecting his arrival from word by her good friend, the Father Griffon,
and had used the Chevalier’s foolishness for means of entertainment. They
wander into the garden, the Chevalier becoming increasingly humiliated and
affected, his love for the Female Bluebeard being genuine, and each of her
words stinging and hurting his heart and hubris. To add to this, she offers him
diamonds to reconcile his hurt feelings which only worsens the injury to his
pride. La Barbe Bleue claims that humiliation was not her intent, and that she
was under the incorrect notion that the Chevalier was only after her money and
posed a threat to her and the inhabitants of the Morne au Diable. She demands
his forgiveness, calling him her friend, and offering him a place to stay at
her home, which completely reverses the anger and sorrow raging inside the
Chevalier. The Female Bluebeard leaves to look for Youmaale and grab a more
deserving present for the Chevalier, and in her absence the Colonel Rutler,
still hiding in the garden, rushes toward the Chevalier. Pulling a hood over
the Chevalier’s face and binding his hands, Colonel Rutler arrests him for high
treason.
Colonel Rutler mistakes the Chevalier for the believed late
husband of the Female Bluebeard, calling him “my Lord Duke,” and the Chevalier
plays the part of the royal Englishman to gain information, learning that la
Barbe Bleue’s husband is wanted by the King of England, William of Orange, for
treason. The Lord Duke had posed a threat to the King, possessing great
fortunes and having previously led a group of devoted partisans against the
King, fighting for his royal father of a falcon of Lancaster. The Duke had,
after his attempt at revolt, been executed, or at least thought to be until of
late. All this being said, the Chevalier promptly decides to assume the
personage which has already been given to him, without raising alarm to
Angelina, in a means to gain the affection and permanent gratitude of la Barbe
Bleue for saving her husband, who she loves dearly.
Arousing great surprise, the bound Chevalier and the Colonel
are met by Angelina herself, disguised as one of her domestics, and she gives
the Chevalier the Lord Duke’s sword and cloak to further cement his false
identity. She leaves to relate the news to her husband, who we find out was
masquerading as all three of her lovers, and is in reality, James Duke of
Monmouth, the son of Charles the Second. Angelina believes them saved, but her
dreams are disrupted when the Duke will not let the Chevalier risk his life for
him. To add to her dismay, Father Griffon arrives with the news that the French
Frigate knows of the Duke’s existence and location, and had questioned the
Father of his whereabouts outside. Upon the arrival of the French frigate,
Colonel Rutler had attempted to strike the Chevalier disguised as the Duke, and
his blade had broken. This action did not go unnoticed by the French envoy,
Monsieur de Chemeraut, and furthered confirmed his suspicions that the fallen
and gagged man, was indeed the James Duke. Monsieur de Chemeraut propositions
the Chevalier, believing him to be the Duke, to rejoin his partisans and place
him back at the head alongside his royal uncle, James Stuart, by driving the
“usurper,” William of Orange from his throne of England. Later, he informs the
Chevalier that refusing the offer would mean imprisonment. Thus, the Chevalier
accepts.
An illustration depicting an execution
The Chevalier de Croustillac, guarded closely by the
Monsieur de Chemeraut, happens upon Angelina and Captain Hurricane conducting
in improper displays of affection, and is horrified by her actions, the
Captain’s real identity still unknown to the Chevalier. After much arguing,
frustration, and consideration of the Chevalier’s trustworthiness, Angelina and
the Duke reveal their secret, leading the Chevalier to readopt his plan and
secure the lovers their safety and security. We also learn how the Duke had
evaded death despite there being a witnessed execution.
The Gascon Chevalier, in his natural element, puts on a show
for the French envoy and condemns the Female Bluebeard to a seemingly horrible
fate, sending her and her lover away on the ship, the Cameleon, to a deserted
island where they shall live out the rest of their limited days together. He
rejects the Female Bluebeard brutally, while secretly arranging them both safe
passage out of the Morne au Diable. Angelina bestows upon the Chevalier a
medallion with her initials, and it is all the Chevalier needs to face the
unpredictable hardships which lie ahead of him.
The Chevalier puts off his departure several times, afraid
of the charade being discovered, but ultimately boards the ship to England,
with little suspicion from the Monsieur de Chemeraut. It is at this time that
Captain Daniel, commander of the ship, the Unicorn, approaches Monsieur de
Chemeraut, requesting to sail alongside him for protection against pirates.
Monsieur de Chemeraut refuses, but Captain Daniel sails alongside them anyways,
carefully maneuvering his ship to avoid any attacks by the Fulminate, Monsieur
de Chemeraut’s ship. The convenience of these ships’ locations works well for
the Chevalier, as his treachery is discovered aboard the Fulminate by the
Duke’s most adoring partisans, Lord Mortimer, Lord Rothsay, and Lord Dudley,
and to avoid death or imprisonment, he jumps into the surrounding sea. The
ship, the Cameleon, holding both Angelina and John, having appeared alongside
the Fulminate as well, gives the Chevalier the distraction he needs to escape
and board the Unicorn. The Chevalier, and Angelina and John tearfully part
ways, the revered Lord Duke being pursued by the befuddled and furious French
frigate. On board the Unicorn, Father Griffon and the Captain Daniel fill the
Chevalier in on the orders they had received to accept him onto the ship, and
surprise him with the last gift of the Lord Duke and Angelina; the ship, the
Unicorn, and all its cargo. Again, receiving it as a hit to his ego, the
Chevalier prescribes to Father Griffon in a note that he refuses the gift and
has left the ownership to the Reverend to use charitably, as he sees fit. The
Chevalier departs, beginning a new journey to Muscovy where he will enlist as a
soldier under the Czar Peter.
The Abbey of Saint Quentin: An Epilogue to the Female
Bluebeard
The opening page of “The Abbey of Saint Quentin”
The epilogue opens up on a convent, roughly eighteen years after the events of the Female Bluebeard, where the monks are corpulent and greedy. Two young farmer’s children by the names of Jacques and Angelina are approached by one of Reverends, who demands of them the produce and grains indebted to him by their father. Diseased since the last couple of months, the father is bedridden and incapable of work, their mother taking care of him, leaving them all penniless. Regardless, the Reverend threatens to displace them and lease their farm to a more able farmer. These words are heard by an old man with sad eyes and furs, and he approaches them feeling sympathy for their situation. Upon hearing their names and witnessing the startling similarities between them and the woman he once loved, the man, the Chevalier is overcome with emotion as always. He requests of the children to stay in their barn and to be given a simple dinner which he will pay for. They depart together to see their father, and upon entering and seeing their mother, who is now middle-aged and dressed very plainly, the Chevalier faints. Angelina, the Female Bluebeard, does not recognize the Chevalier until she and her children come across the medallion she had once gifted him, tied around his neck just beside his heart.
The three old friends reunite, and the Chevalier asks of them to stay in their company for the rest of his life, paying rent to cover the needs of the struggling family. They accept after some groveling, neither party quick to accept gifts, and the Chevalier decides to search for the Father Griffon to reclaim his money from the sale of the Unicorn. The Father, still alive and having spent much of the money to become the proprietor of an estate, happily gives it to the three friends who reside there with their children for the rest of their days, their lives blissful and peaceful at last.
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