The Sun.
London, England, 1840-10-10 00:00:00

POOR JACK, No X.

The illustrative engravings by Stanfield of this
tale are capital ; indeed they are far better than
the talc itself, which, though it has many humo-
rous scenes, is certainly not one of its author's best.
The present Number offers no exception to our
criticism.

CASTLE OF OTRANTO.
Thomas, London, 1840.
The Castle of Otranto is a romance that has met
with far more popularity than it deserves. Its author,
Horace Walpole stated in his original preface, that
it was to be regarded as a wild effort of the itnag.
nation ; but it is impossible so to regard it, for Nee
hardly know a work in which the imaginative
faculty is so little apparent. To conjure up a ghost ;
make a full-length portrait walk out of its frame,
and hold a conversation with an Italian nobleman ;
and describe a gigantic helmet half as hi.' as a
house, tumbling down in a court-yard, and knock-
ing a man's brains out ;—to introduce monstrosities
like these into fiction, and without a why or a where-
fore, except to astonish and bewilder, is not to show
a fertile imagination, but a barren one ; for this
lofty faculty repudiates all such obvious common-
places with scorn, and is never genuine when it
outrages, as in the instance before us, the laws of
good taste and propriety. In speaking of the
characters of his story, Horace Walpole formed an
equally erroneous estimate of his powers. Strictly
speaking, the Castle of Otranto has no characters—
at least none that are individualized, or in whom we
take the slightest interest.
srlle'leibeceua‘tsuitcoikruuetldo:l:air:tatilce,
Manfred, is a mere stiff, grim nonentity, like one of
boardt oseiamnit? tie)udllfiegdubreyssptilliangs .twe e ;
the
the beautiful Isabella, are not less devoitslldteoa-i
hero, u mark
caonddo likelihood dw;:
laanytel
staastedfotrhatthehe)w'o'auliklgs
upon two legs, and wears the outward aspect of a
man, we have said all that can be said in his praise.
Where then, our readers may perhaps ask, lies the
secret of the great popularity that the Castle of
Otranto has enjoyed since its first publication in
1765 ? We answer, in the ease, simplicity, and
freshness of its style ; in its freedom from prolixity ;
in the incessant shifting of its incidents ; and the
terse dramatic manner in which sorre of the more
probable ones are wrought up. The present edition
of this Gothic romance is embellished with a variety
of clever plates, engraved from the original designs
of a young artist, named Standfast ; and is intro-
duced by a brief memoir of the author.

-- -
OAKLEY PARK.—Sir Edward Kerrison, Bart.,
M. P., and Lady Kerrison gave their annual fete at the
above scat on Thursday last, when upwards of one thou.
sand persons were hospitably entertained. Nearly
eight
hundred of the Gallant Baronet's cottage and garden
established by
abnysiohnis
is
famiableul_l
00 ft
tenantry, and the local schools
lady, partook of the festivity of the day ;. and Lord and
trtcyEsTEß I is i,„
Lady Rendleshatn, Lord and Lady Hennikey, Sir George
and Lady Crewe, 10r. W. L. Aenasct.hrudthaeyr. and NI
tsghsal at
oi
tdhr feo rLt
CountesshEt
of
L..
Anstruthcr, and a lengthened list of notility and gentry".
the neighbourhood,. were
.present..
t__
s_ir
faring from a compound fracture of the leg, in
is uf.
of a fa'l from her horse, while riding in
company,
° 17f .ual lin Ed
u' tcCyo Ovt
covrssNt bit :En
g, In consequence
day last. Her Ladyship is attended the Park on Toes-
Dalrymple, and we have the satisfa • by Mr. Archibald
there were no unfavourable symptoms I satisfaction cf knowing tbat
counts came from llolkham. when the lrst s