introductory note-第1部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　INTRODUCTORY　NOTE。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

THE　HOUSE　OF　THE　SEVEN　GABLES。





IN　September　of　the　year　during　the　February　of　which　Hawthorne　had

completed　〃The　Scarlet　Letter；〃　he　began　〃The　House　of　the　Seven　Gables。〃

Meanwhile；　he　had　removed　from　Salem　to　Lenox；　in　Berkshire　County；

Massachusetts；　where　he　occupied　with　his　family　a　small　red　wooden　house；

still　standing　at　the　date　of　this　edition；　near　the　Stockbridge　Bowl。



〃I　sha'n't　have　the　new　story　ready　by　November；〃　　he　explained

to　his　publisher；　on　the　1st　of　October；　〃for　I　am　never　good　for

anything　in　the　literary　way　till　after　the　first　autumnal　frost；

which　has　somewhat　such　an　effect　on　my　imagination　that　it　does

on　the　foliage　here　about　me…multiplying　and　brightening　its　hues。〃

But　by　vigorous　application　he　was　able　to　complete　the　new　work

about　the　middle　of　the　January　following。



Since　research　has　disclosed　the　manner　in　which　the　romance　is

interwoven　with　incidents　from　the　history　of　the　Hawthorne　family；

〃The　House　of　the　Seven　Gables〃　has　acquired　an　interest　apart

from　that　by　which　it　first　appealed　to　the　public。　　John　Hathorne

（as　the　name　was　then　spelled）；　the　great…grandfather　of　Nathaniel

Hawthorne；　was　a　magistrate　at　Salem　in　the　latter　part　of　the

seventeenth　century；　and　officiated　at　the　famous　trials　for

witchcraft　held　there。　　It　is　of　record　that　he　used　peculiar

severity　towards　a　certain　woman　who　was　among　the　accused；

and　the　husband　of　this　woman　prophesied　that　God　would　take

revenge　upon　his　wife's　persecutors。　　This　circumstance　doubtless

furnished　a　hint　for　that　piece　of　tradition　in　the　book　which

represents　a　Pyncheon　of　a　former　generation　as　having　persecuted

one　Maule；　who　declared　that　God　would　give　his　enemy　〃blood　to　drink。〃

It　became　a　conviction　with　The　Hawthorne　family　that　a　curse　had　been

pronounced　upon　its　members；　which　continued　in　force　in　the　time　of

The　romancer；　a　conviction　perhaps　derived　from　the　recorded　prophecy

of　The　injured　woman's　husband；　just　mentioned；　and；　here　again；

we　have　a　correspondence　with　Maule's　malediction　in　The　story。

Furthermore；　there　occurs　in　The　〃American　Note…Books〃　（August　27；

1837）；　a　reminiscence　of　The　author's　family；　to　the　following　effect。

Philip　English；　a　character　well…known　in　early　Salem　annals；　was　among

those　who　suffered　from　John　Hathorne's　magisterial　harshness；　and　he

maintained　in　consequence　a　lasting　feud　with　the　old　Puritan　official。

But　at　his　death　English　left　daughters；　one　of　whom　is　said　to　have

married　the　son　of　Justice　John　Hathorne；　whom　English　had　declared

he　would　never　forgive。　　It　is　scarcely　necessary　to　point　out　how

clearly　this　foreshadows　the　final　union　of　those　hereditary　foes；

the　Pyncheons　and　Maules；　through　the　marriage　of　Phoebe　and　Holgrave。

The　romance；　however；　describes　the　Maules　as　possessing　some　of　the

traits　known　to　have　been　characteristic　of　the　Hawthornes：　　for　example；

〃so　long　as　any　of　the　race　were　to　be　found；　they　had　been　marked　out

from　other　mennot　strikingly；　nor　as　with　a　sharp　line；　but　with　an

effect　that　was　felt　rather　than　spoken　ofby　an　hereditary

characteristic　of　reserve。〃　　Thus；　while　the　general　suggestion

of　the　Hawthorne　line　and　its　fortunes　was　followed　in　the　romance；

the　Pyncheons　taking　the　place　of　The　author's　family；

certain　distinguishing　marks　of　the　Hawthornes　were　assigned

to　the　imaginary　Maule　posterity。



There　are　one　or　two　other　points　which　indicate　Hawthorne's

method　of　basing　his　compositions；　the　result　in　the　main

of　pure　invention；　on　the　solid　ground　of　particular　facts。　

Allusion　is　made；　in　the　first　chapter　of　the　〃Seven　Gables；〃

to　a　grant　of　lands　in　Waldo　County；　Maine；　owned　by　the

Pyncheon　family。　　In　the　〃American　Note…Books〃　there　is　an　entry；

dated　August　12；　1837；　which　speaks　of　the　Revolutionary　general；

Knox；　and　his　land…grant　in　Waldo　County；　by　virtue　of　which　the

owner　had　hoped　to　establish　an　estate　on　the　English　plan；

with　a　tenantry　to　make　it　profitable　for　him。　　An　incident　of

much　greater　importance　in　the　story　is　the　supposed　murder　of

one　of　the　Pyncheons　by　his　nephew；　to　whom　we　are　introduced　as

Clifford　Pyncheon。　　In　all　probability　Hawthorne　connected　with

this；　in　his　mind；　the　murder　of　Mr。　White；　a　wealthy　gentleman

of　Salem；　killed　by　a　man　whom　his　nephew　had　hired。　　This　took

place　a　few　years　after　Hawthorne's　gradation　from　college；

and　was　one　of　the　celebrated　cases　of　the　day；　Daniel　Webster

taking　part　prominently　in　the　trial。　　But　it　should　be　observed

here　that　such　resemblances　as　these　between　sundry　elements　in

the　work　of　Hawthorne's　fancy　and　details　of　reality　are　only

fragmentary；　and　are　rearranged　to　suit　the　author's　purposes。



In　the　same　way　he　has　made　his　description　of　Hepzibah　Pyncheon's

seven…gabled　mansion　conform　so　nearly　to　several　old　dwellings

formerly　or　still　extant　in　Salem；　that　strenuous　efforts　have

been　made　to　fix　upon　some　one　of　them　as　the　veritable　edifice

of　the　romance。　　A　paragraph　in　The　opening　chapter　has　perhaps

assisted　this　delusion　that　there　must　have　been　a　single　original

House　of　the　Seven　Gables；　framed　by　flesh…and…blood　carpenters；

for　it　runs　thus：…



Familiar　as　it　stands　in　the　writer's　recollectionfor　it　has

been　an　object　of　curiosity　with　him　from　boyhood；　both　as　a

specimen　of　the　best　and　stateliest　architecture　of　a　long…past

epoch；　and　as　the　scene　of　events　more　full　of　interest　perhaps

than　those　of　a　gray　feudal　castlefamiliar　as　it　stands；　in　its

rusty　old　age；　it　is　therefore　only　the　more　difficult　to　imagine

the　bright　novelty　with　which　it　first　caught　the　sunshine。〃



Hundreds　of　pilgrims　annually　visit　a　house　in　Salem；　belonging

to　one　branch　of　the　Ingersoll　family　of　that　place；　which　is

stoutly　maintained　to　have　been　The　model　for　Hawthorne's

visionary　dwelling。　　Others　have　supposed　that　the　now　vanished

house　of　The　identical　Philip　English；　whose　blood；　as　we　have

already　noticed；　became　mingled　with　that　of　the　Hawthornes；

supplied　the　pattern；　and　still　a　third　building；　known　as　the

Curwen　mansion；　has　been　declared　the　only　genuine　establishment。

Notwithstanding　persistent　popular　belief；　The　authenticity　of

all　these　must　positively　be　denied；　although　it　is　possible　that

isolated　reminiscences　of　all　three　may　have　blended　with　the

ideal　image　in　the　mind　of　Hawthorne。　　He；　it　will　be　seen；

remarks　in　the　Preface；　alluding　to　himself　in　the　third　person；

that　he　trusts　not　to　be　condemned　for　〃laying　out　a　street　that

infringes　upon　nobody's　private　rights。。。　　and　building　a　house

of　materials　long　in　use　for　constructing　castles　in　the　air。〃

More　than　this；　he　stated　to　persons　still　living　that　the　house　of

the　romance　was　not　copied　from　any　actual　edifice；　but　was　simply　a

general　reproduction　of　a　style　of　architecture　belonging　to　colonial　days；

examples　of　which　survived　into　the　period　of　his　youth；　but　have　since

been　radically　modified　or　destroyed。　　Here；　as　elsewhere；　he　exercised

the　liberty　of　a　creative　mind　to　heighten　the　probability　of　his　pictures

without　confining　himself　to　a　literal　description　of　something　he　had　seen。



While　Hawthorne　remained　at　Lenox；　and　during　the　composition

of　this　romance；　various　other　literary　personages　settled　or

stayed　for　a　time　in　the　vicinity；　among　them；　Herman　Melville；

whose　intercourse　Hawthorne　greatly　enjoyed；　Henry　James；　Sr。；

Doctor　Holmes；　J。　　T。　　Headley；　James　Russell　Lowell；　Edwin　P。

Whipple；　Frederika　Bremer；　and　J。　　T。　　Fields；　so　that　there　was

no　lack　of　intellectual　society　in　the　midst　of　the　beautiful

and　inspiring　mountain　scenery　of　the　place。　　〃In　the　afternoons；

nowadays；〃　he　records；　shortly　before　beginning　the　work；　〃this

valley　in　which　I　dwell　seems　like　a　vast　basin　filled　with　golden

Sunshine　as　with　wine；〃　and；　happy　in　the　companionship　of　his

wife　and　their　three　children；　he　led　a　simple；　refined；　idyllic

life；　despite　the　restrictions　of　a　scanty　and　uncertain　income。

A　letter　written　by　Mrs。　Hawthorne；　at　this　time；　to　a　member　of

her　family；　gives　incidentally　a　glimpse　of　the　scene；　which　may

properly　find　a　place　here。　　She　says：　　〃I　delight　to　think　that

you　also　can　look　forth；　as　I　do　now；　upon　a　broad　valley　and　a

fine　amphitheater　of　hills；　and　are　about　to　watch　the　stately

ceremony　of　the　sunset　from　your　piazza。　　But　you　have　not　this

lovely　lake；　nor；　I　suppose；　the　delicate　purple　mist　which　folds

these　slumbering　mountains　in　airy　veils。　　Mr。　Hawthorne　has

been　lying　down　in　the　sun　shine；　slightly　fleckered　with　the

shadows　of　a　tree；　and　Una　and　Julian　have　been　making　him　look

like　the　mighty　Pan；　by　covering　his　chin　and　breast　with　long

grass…blades；　that　looked　like　a　verdant　and　venerable　beard。〃　

The　pleasantness　and　peace　of　his　surroundings　and　of　his　modest

home；　in　Lenox；　may　be　taken　into　account　as　harmonizing　with　the

mellow　serenity　of　the　romance　then　produced。　　Of　the　work；　when

it　appeared　in　the　early　spring　of　1851；　he　wrote　to　Horatio　Bridge

these　words；　now　published　for　the　first　time：…



〃‘The　House　of　the　Seven　Gables'　in　my　opinion；　is　better　than

‘The　Scarlet　Letter：'　but　I　should　not　wonder　if　I　had　refined

upon　the　principal　character　a　little　too　much　for　popular

appreciation；　nor　if　the　romance　of　the　book　should　be　somewhat

at　odds　with　the　humble　and　familiar　scenery　in　which　I　invest　it。

But　I　feel　that　portions　of　it　are　as　good　as　anything　I　can　hope

to　write；　and　the　publisher　speaks　encouragingly　of　its　success。〃



From　England；　especially；　came　many　warm　expressions　of　praise；

a　fact　which　Mrs。　Hawthorne；　in　a　private　letter；　commented　on　as

the　fulfillment　of　a　possibility　which　Hawthorne；　writing　in　boyhood

to　his　mother；　had　looked　forward　to。　　He　had　asked　her　if　she　would

not　like　him