Introduction

Horace Walpole was the youngest son of Sir Robert Walpole, the great statesman, who died Earl of Orford. He was born in 1717, the year in which his father resigned office, remaining in opposition for almost three years before his return to a long tenure of power. Horace Walpole was educated at Eton, where he formed a school friendship with Thomas Gray, who was but a few months older. In 1739 Gray was travelling-companion with Walpole in France and Italy until they differed and parted; but the friendship was afterwards renewed, and remained firm to the end. Horace Walpole went from Eton to King’s College, Cambridge, and entered Parliament in 1741, the year before his father’s final resignation and acceptance of an earldom. His way of life was made easy to him. As Usher of the Exchequer, Comptroller of the Pipe, and Clerk of the Estreats in the Exchequer, he received nearly two thousand a year for doing nothing, lived with his father, and amused himself.

Horace Walpole was the youngest son of Sir Robert Walpole, the great statesman who became Earl of Orford. Horace was born in 1717, the year his father resigned from office. Sir Robert remained in opposition for almost three years before returning to power for a long period. Horace Walpole was educated at Eton, where he became friends with Thomas Gray, who was only a few months older. In 1739, Gray traveled with Walpole in France and Italy until they disagreed and parted. But they later renewed their friendship, and it remained strong to the end. Horace Walpole went from Eton to King’s College, Cambridge, and entered Parliament in 1741. The following year, his father resigned for the last time and accepted an earldom. Horace had an easy life. He held the posts of Usher of the Exchequer, Comptroller of the Pipe, and Clerk of the Estreats in the Exchequer. He received nearly two thousand a year for doing nothing, lived with his father, and amused himself.

Horace Walpole idled, and amused himself with the small life of the fashionable world to which he was proud of belonging, though he had a quick eye for its vanities. He had social wit, and liked to put it to small uses. But he was not an empty idler, and there were seasons when he could become a sharp judge of himself. “I am sensible,” he wrote to his most intimate friend, “I am sensible of having more follies and weaknesses and fewer real good qualities than most men. I sometimes reflect on this, though, I own, too seldom. I always want to begin acting like a man, and a sensible one, which I think I might be if I would.” He had deep home affections, and, under many polite affectations, plenty of good sense.

Horace Walpole spent his time idly, amusing himself with the small affairs of fashionable society. He was proud to belong to that world, though he was quick to see its vanities. He was witty in company and liked to use his wit on trivial matters. But he was not an empty-headed idler. At times, he could judge himself sharply. “I know,” he wrote to his closest friend, “I know I have more follies and weaknesses and fewer real virtues than most men. I sometimes reflect on this, though I admit, too rarely. I always want to start acting like a sensible man. I think I could be one if I chose to.” He cared deeply for his family and home. Beneath his many fashionable affectations, he had plenty of good sense.

Horace Walpole’s father died in 1745. The eldest son, who succeeded to the earldom, died in 1751, and left a son, George, who was for a time insane, and lived until 1791. As George left no child, the title and estates passed to Horace Walpole, then seventy-four years old, and the only uncle who survived. Horace Walpole thus became Earl of Orford, during the last six years of his life. As to the title, he said that he felt himself being called names in his old age. He died unmarried, in the year 1797, at the age of eighty.

Horace Walpole’s father died in 1745. His eldest son inherited the earldom and died in 1751. He left a son, George, who was mentally ill for a time and lived until 1791. George left no children, so the title and estates passed to Horace Walpole. Horace was then seventy-four and George’s only surviving uncle. He thus became Earl of Orford for the last six years of his life. Of the title, he said he felt people were calling him names in his old age. He died unmarried in 1797, at the age of eighty.

He had turned his house at Strawberry Hill, by the Thames, near Twickenham, into a Gothic villa—eighteenth-century Gothic—and amused himself by spending freely upon its adornment with such things as were then fashionable as objects of taste. But he delighted also in his flowers and his trellises of roses, and the quiet Thames. When confined by gout to his London house in Arlington Street, flowers from Strawberry Hill and a bird were necessary consolations. He set up also at Strawberry Hill a private printing press, at which he printed his friend Gray’s poems, also in 1758 his own “Catalogue of the Royal and Noble Authors of England,” and five volumes of “Anecdotes of Painting in England,” between 1762 and 1771.

He had turned his house at Strawberry Hill, beside the Thames near Twickenham, into a Gothic villa. It was Gothic in the eighteenth-century style. He enjoyed spending freely to decorate it with objects that were then fashionable and considered tasteful. But he also delighted in his flowers, his rose trellises, and the quiet Thames. When gout confined him to his London house in Arlington Street, flowers from Strawberry Hill and a bird were essential comforts. He also set up a private printing press at Strawberry Hill. There he printed his friend Gray’s poems and, in 1758, his own “Catalogue of the Royal and Noble Authors of England.” Between 1762 and 1771, he also printed five volumes of “Anecdotes of Painting in England.”

Horace Walpole produced The Castle of Otranto in 1765, at the mature age of forty-eight. It was suggested by a dream from which he said he waked one morning, and of which “all I could recover was, that I had thought myself in an ancient castle (a very natural dream for a head like mine, filled with Gothic story), and that on the uppermost banister of a great staircase I saw a gigantic hand in armour. In the evening I sat down and began to write, without knowing in the least what I intended to say or relate.” So began the tale which professed to be translated by “William Marshal, gentleman, from the Italian of Onuphro Muralto, canon of the Church of St. Nicholas, at Otranto.” It was written in two months. Walpole’s friend Gray reported to him that at Cambridge the book made “some of them cry a little, and all in general afraid to go to bed o’ nights.” The Castle of Otranto was, in its own way, an early sign of the reaction towards romance in the latter part of the last century. This gives it interest. But it has had many followers, and the hardy modern reader, when he reads Gray’s note from Cambridge, needs to be reminded of its date.

Horace Walpole wrote The Castle of Otranto in 1765, at the mature age of forty-eight. The idea came from a dream he said he had woken from one morning. He recalled: “All I could remember was that I thought I was in an ancient castle. That was a very natural dream for someone like me, whose head was full of Gothic stories. On the top banister of a grand staircase, I saw a gigantic hand in armor. That evening I sat down and began to write, without the least idea of what I intended to say or tell.” The tale claimed to be translated by “William Marshal, gentleman, from the Italian of Onuphro Muralto, canon of the Church of St. Nicholas, at Otranto.” Walpole wrote it in two months. His friend Gray told him that at Cambridge the book made “some of them cry a little, and all of them generally afraid to go to bed at night.” In its own way, The Castle of Otranto was an early sign of the return to romance in the latter part of the previous century. This makes the book interesting. But many others have followed its example. When the hardy modern reader comes across Gray’s report from Cambridge, they need to be reminded when it was written.

H. M.

H. M.