Manuscript, in Walpole's hand, of drafts, with numerous emendations, of five lighthearted and occasionally satirical fairy tales. The first tale, titled A new Arabian night's entertainment, is a parody of the relationship between Scheherezade and Shahryar in the frame tale of The Arabian Nights. The second tale, titled The king and his three daughters, concerns the political and dynastic problems of a kingdom in which the king's eldest daughter does not exist. The third tale, titled The Dice-box and annotated, "translated from the French translation of the Countess of Daunois for the entertainment of Miss Caroline Campbell," is a fantastic tale of a nine-year-old girl named Pissimissi, the elephant and ladybird which draw her car, and her encounter with King Solomon. The fourth tale, titled The peach in brandy: a milesian tale, addresses the dynastic problems of a country with Irish connotations. The fifth and final tale, titled The bird's nest, describes the fantastic dream of Guzalme, Queen of Serendip
Description:
In English., Typed transcripts of the fifth tale included with manuscript., and The fifth and sixth tales publised as Hieroglyphic tales (Strawberry Hill Press, 1785) are not included in this manuscript.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain.
Subject (Name):
Walpole, Horace, 1717-1797.
Subject (Topic):
Fairy tales, Nonsense literature, English, Parodies, English, and Satire, English
Manuscript, in a single hand, of a letter from Mason to Horace Walpole, in which Mason writes that he has read Walpole's tragedic play, The Mysterious Mother, several times and has provided a sketch of alterations he believes necessary to improve the denouement. The list of alterations accompanies the letter, which consist of dialogic emendations at specific page and line numbers. At the end of the letter, a note signed by Walpole states his reasons against adopting Mason's suggestions, "because they woud totally have destroyed my Object."
Description:
William Mason (1724-1797) was a poet, editor, and gardener. In 1747, his poem "Musaeus, a Monody on the Death of Mr. Pope" was published to acclaim and quickly went through several editions. In 1775, he published the Poems of Mr Gray, a friend who was a great influence on his own work. Ten years later, William Pitt nominated him for the post of Poet Laureate, but he turned it down. Among Mason's other works are the historical tragedies Elfrida (1752) and Caractacus (1759), as well as a long poem on gardening, The English Garden (1772-1782). Indeed, Mason was an influential garden designer, designing several flower gardens for his friends and patrons, especially for Richard Hurd, Lord Jersey, and Lord Harcourt. In 1797 he fell and injured his leg while entering his carriage, and died several days later at his rectory in Aston., In English., Typed transcript available in object file., and For further information, consult library staff.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Mason, William, 1725-1797. and Walpole, Horace, 1717-1797.
Subject (Topic):
English drama (Tragedy), Family, Incest, Religion, and Theater
Manuscript, in Walpole's hand, containing primarily the beginnings and endings of various sections of the memoirs of political characters and events during the reign of King George II. The focus of the collection, however, is on the drawings and engraved headpieces and tailpieces which appear on these pages. These include a pen drawing by Richard Bentley of Walpole presenting the work to Democritus, with his villa at Strawberry Hill behind him; the head of George II by Johann Muntz, set in a headpiece designed by Bentley; and engravings of William Murray; Henry Pelham; Thomas Pelham-Holles; and Archibald Campbell, many also set in pieces drawn by Bentley. The collection also contains a pencil drawing of Henry Lord Holland, with the annotation, "Sr H. Reynolds pinxt"; an appendix explaining the engravings; and a newspaper notice of the death of William Stanhope, Earl of Harrington
Alternative Title:
Memoirs of King George II.
Description:
In English., Available on microfilm, and For further information, consult library staff.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Bentley, R. 1708-1782. (Richard),, Campbell, Archibald, 1691-1756., George II, King of Great Britain, 1683-1760., Harrington, William Stanhope, Earl of, approximately 1690-1756., Holland, Henry Fox, Baron, 1705-1774., Mansfield, William Murray, Earl of, 1705-1793., Müntz, Jean-Henri, 1727-1798., Newcastle, Thomas Pelham-Holles, Duke of, 1693-1768., Pelham, Henry, 1695?-1754., and Walpole, Horace, 1717-1797.
Manuscript, in Walpole's and others' hands, of a collection of several dozen scraps of notes, verse fragments, sketches, and drawings, collected from Walpole's papers. The notes are primarily epigrammatic or anecdotal, on such topics as printing books; British monarchs; Waldegrave's time as ambassador at Paris; Lady Mary Coke's affectations; and Sir W. Draper's gambling. The collection also includes several riddles and verses. Some of the notes have been transcribed, on the same page, by Wilmarth Sheldon Lewis and The manuscript also contains 29 drawings, including pencil sketches of Strawberry Hill some done by Walpole and others possibly by John Chute; a pen-and-wash drawing of a scene from The Castle of Otranto accompanied by a note of thanks from Mrs Susanna (Highmore) Duncombe; a pen drawing of the actor William Kemp copied from the frontispiece of a book; numerous busts; a detailed pastoral landscape scene in pencil, possibly by Agnes Berry; pencil sketches of a pig, cow, and dog; pen sketches by Sir John Fenn; and a woodcut title page to a book of John Skelton's works, dated 1523
Alternative Title:
Walpoliana mss and drawings
Description:
In English., Laid in: scrap of paper with faded ink writing, possibly Walpole's., Marbled endpapers., Binding: full calf; gilt decoration. In gilt on spine: Walpoliana mss and drawings., and For further information, consult library staff.