164
NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. x. AUG. 29, i9u.
The word " Muse " appears on the title-
page of Vol. IV. as " muse," and in the other
three volumes as " Muse."
- ' Tales of the Castle : or, Stories of Instruction
and Delight. Being les Veillees du Chateau, written in French By Madame la Comtesse de Genlis, Author of the Theatre of Education, Adela and Theodore, &c. Translated into English By Thomas Holcroft, Comme raccende il gusto il nwtar' esca, \ Cost mi par, clie la mia Isioria, quanto \ Or qua, or la piu variata sia, \ Meno a chi V udird nojosa fia. AKIOSTO. As at the board, with plenteous Viands grac'd, \ Gate after Gate excites the sickening taste, \ So, while my muse pursues her varied strains, \ Tale jolloicing Tale the ravish' d ear detains. HOOLE. | The Third Edition. Vol. I. London : Printed for G. G. J. and J. Robinson, N. 25, Pater-noster-row, 1787." Five Volumes, Duo- decimo. I., 1 p.l. +6 + 1-298. II., 1 p.l.+ 2 + 1-263. III., 1 p.l. +2 + 1-28 4. IV., 1 p.l. +2 + 1-256. V., 1 p.l. +2 + 1-261 pp.
Vols. II.-V. spell the word " Muse " with a capital, Vol. I. " muse."
'" Tales of the Castle : or Stories of Instruction and Delight. Being les Veillees du Chateau, written in French By Madame la Comtesse de Genlis, Author of the Theatre of Education, Adela and Theodore, &c. Translated into English By Thomas Holcroft. The Eighth Edition. Come raccende il gusto il mittar' esca, \ Cosl mi par, che la mia Istoria, quanto, \ Or qua, or let, piu variata sia, \ Meno, a chi V udird, nojosa fia. ARIOSTO. | As at the board loith plenteous viands grac'd, \ Cate after cate excites the sickening taste, \ So, tchile my Muse pursues her varied strains, \ Tale jolloicing tale the ravish' d ear detains. HOOLE. ( In Five Volumes. Vol. I. London : Printed for G. Robinson, R. Phillips^, Wilkie and Robinson, Scatcherd and Letterrnan, and J. Walker. 1806." Duo- decimo. I., front. + 6 + 1-307. II., front.+ 2 + 1-263. III., front. +2 + 1-285. IV., front. +2 + 1-249. V., front. +2 + 1-257 pp.
'" Tales of the Castle ; or, Stories of Instruction and Delight. By Mad. de Genlis, Author of the Theatre of Education, Adela and Theodore, &c. Translated by Thomas Holcroft. Vol. I. London : Printed for Walker and Edwards ; F. C. and J. Rivington ; J. Nunn ; Cadell and Davies ; Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown ; J. Richardson ; Law and Whittaker ; Newman and Co. ; Lackington and Co. ; Black, Parbury, and Allen ; J. Black and Son ; Sherwood, Neely, and Jones ; R. Scholey ; Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy ; Gale and Fenner ; J. Robinson ; and B. Reynolds. 1817." In two volumes, duodecimo, part of " Walker's British Classics." I., 2 p.l. +6 + 1-456. II., 2 p.l. +2 + 1-467 pp.
^Vol. I. has "J. Black and Son," Vol. II. " J. Black and son."
There was a book published : J< The Beauties of Genlis ; being a select collection, of the most beautiful tales and other striking extracts, from Adela and Theodore ; The Tales of the Castle ; The Theatre of Education and Sacred Dramas ; written by the Countess of
Genlis. With copper plates. Printed for the
Booksellers. MDCCLXXXVII." Octavo, front. +
4+1-352 pp.
On pp. 55-68 of this book I find " The Brazier ; or Reciprocal Gratitude. From the Tales of the Castle. Translated by Tho. Holcroft and Published by Robinsor London." On pp. 117-30 appears ' Tl Solitary Family of Normandy ' ; and or pp. 191-271 'The Castle of Truth,' which, in the light of the ascription appended to ' The Brazier,' we may judge to be taken from Holcroft. Careful comparisons estab- lish the fact. On pp. 273-83 there is ' The Widow of Sarepta. A Sacred Drama, in One Act,' also in Holcroft's version.
" Tales of the Castle : or, Stories of Instruction and Delight. Abridged from the original work of Madame de Genlis, and adapted for youth. By Mrs. Elizabeth Kerr. Glasgow : Printed for Richard Griffin & Co., Juvenile Library, Hutcheson Street ; and Thomas Tegg, Cheap- side, London. 1824." Duodecimo, 4 + 1-176 pp.
These stories are obviously abridged from Holcroft's version, and not " from the original work of Madame de Genlis," as the title-page would have it. Of course, many changes have been made, principally in the matter of abridgments. But in the main Holcroft has been very faithfully followed : turns of idiom, curious spellings archaic in 1824 and even strange punctuation are retained in sufficient number to indicate the similarity. I, of course, make due allow- ance for mere coincidences in translating from the same sources, but still think the matter clear enough not to grant any degree of probability of truth to the title- page.
I have seen an edition, five volumes in two, designated as the " ninth edition " " Btattleborough : Published by Williar Fessenden, 1813 [sic]."
Miss Mary Shakshober, Librarian, Public Library, Brattleboro, Vermont, writes me as follows :
" William Fessenden was a publisher in Brattle- boro from 1803 until his death in 1815. He began his career as a publisher by editing and printing The Reporter, a weekly newspaper ; then he ' took over ' a Webster's Spelling Book from a publisher in Bennington and made a great ) success of it, and at the time of his death his printing establishment was the largest in this country. After his death, the business was conducted by his brother, Joseph, and his father- in-law, Deacon Holbrook, and finally the business was reorganized and took this name : ' Brattle- boro Typographic Company.' But it is now defunct.'
