The Gothic Alchemist's Blog

The Italian, Volume III, Chapter XIII p432, Ed. The Folio Society, 1987 [...] The style of the gardens, where lawns and groves, and woods varied the undulating surface, was that of England, and of the present day, rather than of Italy; except "Where a long alley peeping on the main," exhibited such gigantic loftiness of shade, and grandeur of perspective, as characterize the Italian taste. [...] Without much surprise, and once again not completely true to the original, Ann Radcliffe quotes from James Thomson, "The Castle of Indolence", 1748 [...] For this he chose a farm in Deva's vale. Where his long alleys peeped upon the main : In this calm seat he drew the healthful gale, Here mixed the chief, the patriot, and the swain. [...] The epigraph of chapter XIII, a few paragraphs away from this quotation inset, is from the same poem.

In the Vol II, Chapter III of The Mysteries of Udolpho p196, Ed. The Folio Society, 1987 Ann Radcliffe refers to "an English poet" in the following To him, indeed, might have been applied that beautiful exhortation of an English poet, had it then existed:  —"Strike up, my master,  But touch the strings with a religious softness!  Teach sounds to languish through the night's dull ear  Till Melancholy starts from off her couch,  And Carelessness grows concert to attention!"  The OUP edition mentions that "the lines which follow [the unidentified reference to an English poet ] may be by Radcliffe herself." It turns out that if Ann did not name the poet, it is because at the time (and maybe still somewhat today) there was some controversy about the author of those lines. It comes from the play "Double Falshood, or The Distrest Lovers" (1728) Act I, Scene III by Lewis Theobald (1688-1744) / (William Shakespeare/John Fletcher) The publ...

This was a though one, again yet unidentified in OUP latest edition. I was unable to identify it back in 2011, but tonight I was more lucky ! [1794] The Mysteries of Udolpho, Vol III, Chapter X (p501, The Folio Society, 1987) She then retired to her pillow, and, "with gay visions of tomorrow," to those sweet slumbers, which health and happy innocence only know.  Probably misquoted (by heart?) from James Beattie (1735-1803),  "Ode to Hope" [...] I, who close the eyes of sorrow, And with glad visions of to-morrow Repair the weary soul's decay. [...] On the other hand, I had no chance whatsoever in finding more poems by "A." in the London Magazine ; I checked all months of the years 1782 to 1786. Some funny, some interesting, but none as exciting as the moon-light poem, questionably from Ann.

Below are identification of quotes which, at least in the latest Oxford University Press edition of the Romance of the Forest, were still unidentified.  the pages refer to the edition of RF in The Folio Society, 1987 Vol I, Chapter II, p27 […] the captivations of her beauty were heightened by the grace and simplicity of her manners, and confirmed by the intrinsic value of a heart "That might be shrin'd in crystal, And have all its movements scann'd." George Keate (1729-1797) “The Monument in Arcadia : a dramatic poem”, Act II, 1773 "[…] for she wears a Heart So pure, so spotless, that it might be shrin’d In Crystal, and have all its movements scanne’d!" Vol II, Chapter VI, p184, epigraph "Nor sea, nor shade, nor shield, nor rock, nor cave, Nor silent desarts, nor the sullen grave, Where flame-ey'd Fury means to frown——-can save." Francis Quarles (1592 – 1644) “Emblems”, Book III, Emblem XII, 1635 ...

Back in 2011, I started to identify all quotation insets and chapter epigraphs of Ann Radcliffe novel, in order to find about which authors she had read, and liked, as we know so little about her. While trying to trace down a quotation inset, still unidentified, from 1987 [1794]  The Mysteries of Udolpho , London, The Folio Society volume 4, chapter 12, page 633 While the fancy thus wanders over landscapes partly of its own creation, a sweet complacency steals upon the mind, and "Refines it all to subtlest feeling, Bids the tear of rapture roll" I chanced upon the following poem, in The London Magazine, Or, Gentleman's Monthly Intelligencer, Volume LII for the year 1783  -  January to June  -  p296-297 (June) Written on the sea-shore by moon-light When still at eve the moon ascending, Thro’ the Heav’ns pathless wide, From a cloud of silver bending, Pours her radiance o’er the tide, While with slow a...