Step into the fascinating world of literary history with Austin Dobson’s insightful biography, Horace Walpole. Discover the life and legacy of one of the most intriguing figures of the 18th century, known for his contributions to literature, art, and his own eccentricities. As Dobson delves into Walpole’s life, we uncover the man behind the iconic Strawberry Hill, the first Gothic Revival house, and the infamous Castle of Otranto. What drove Walpole to challenge conventional norms, and how did his experiences shape the literary world as we know it?But here's the question that will leave you pondering: How much of Walpole's eccentricity was genuine genius, and how much was a carefully constructed persona designed to stir intrigue? Explore the complexities of Walpole's character, from his sharp wit and political engagements to his unparalleled influence on English literature. This biography provides a window into the mind of a man who shaped the world around him while also being shaped by it. Are you ready to explore the genius and idiosyncrasies of one of the most fascinating figures in literary history? Horace Walpole is your gateway to understanding a man whose legacy still resonates today.Seize this opportunity to dive into the world of Horace Walpole. Purchase Horace Walpole now, and embark on a journey through the life of a man whose works continue to captivate and inspire.

Published to coincide with the bi-centenary of the original publication of "The Works of Horatio Walpole", this five-volume edition reproduces the 1798 posthumous facsimile held by the Lewis Walpole Library.

The first book-length study of Horace Walpole’s scandalous The Mysterious Mother, including critical essays, an abridged script, and a facsimile edition Horace Walpole’s five-act tragedy The Mysterious Mother (1768), a sensational tale of incest and intrigue, was initially circulated only among the author’s friends. Walpole never permitted it to be performed during his lifetime except as a private theatrical. He described his play as a “delicious entertainment for the closet” and claimed that he “did not think it would do for the stage.” Yet the essays in this volume trace a history of private readings, amateur theatricals, and even early public performances, demonstrating that the play was read and performed more than Walpole’s protests suggest. Exploring a wide variety of topics—including the play’s crypto-Catholicism, its treatments of incest, guilt, motherhood, orphans, and scientific spectacle, and the complex relations between print and performance—the essays demonstrate the rich relevance of The Mysterious Mother to current critical discussions. The volume includes the proceedings of a mini-conference hosted at Yale University in 2018 on the occasion of a staged reading of the play. Also included are the director’s reflections, an abridged script, a facsimile of Walpole’s own copy of the full-length play, and reproductions of the illustrations he commissioned from Lady Diana Beauclerk.

Published in 1999, this work offers a balanced interdisciplinary account of literary and criminal forgery as they were practised, constructed and theorized in the 18th century as a corollary of the new documents of the financial revolution: banknotes, bills of exchange and promissory notes. The book surveys the crime and its mythology, placing well-known cases such as that of Dr. William Dodd within the pattern of 400 prosecutions from the period 1715-1780. In parallel, accounts of some major instances of literary forgery are rooted in a more pervasive culture in which "forgery" was discovered in many developing areas of literary practice: scholarly editing, historiography and antiquarianism. One surprising aspect of this study is the extent to which literary figures were involved in matters of criminal as well as literary forgery. It is suggested that the two kinds of forgery have unexpected connections with each other through the economy of literature which, following the development of copyright, regarded the signature of authorship as the legal site of literary authenticity, and through the economic and legal culture of forgery prosecutions, in which bogus "writing" came to signify a whole range of problems of personal and literary character. The study is based on a very large body of diverse material, from major texts such as "The Dunciad" and "Lives of the English Poets" to hundreds of minor poems, controversial pamphlets, criminal biographies, newspapers, legal records and manuscripts.