St. Irvyne: or, The Rosicrucian: a Romance

by Anonymous

Nineteenth Century Collections Online: European Literature, 1790-1840: The Corvey Collection includes the full-text of more than 9,500 English, French and German titles. The collection is sourced from the remarkable library of Victor Amadeus, whose Castle Corvey collection was one of the most spectacular discoveries of the late 1970s. The Corvey Collection comprises one of the most important collections of Romantic era writing in existence anywhere -- including fiction, short prose, dramatic works, poetry, and more -- with a focus on especially difficult-to-find works by lesser-known, historically neglected writers.

The Corvey library was built during the last half of the 19th century by Victor and his wife Elise, both bibliophiles with varied interests. The collection thus contains everything from novels and short stories to belles lettres and more populist works, and includes many exceedingly rare works not available in any other collection from the period. These invaluable, sometimes previously unknown works are of particular interest to scholars and researchers.

European Literature, 1790-1840: The Corvey Collection includes:

* Novels and Gothic Novels
* Short Stories
* Belles-Lettres
* Short Prose Forms
* Dramatic Works
* Poetry
* Anthologies
* And more

Selected with the guidance of an international team of expert advisors, these primary sources are invaluable for a wide range of academic disciplines and areas of study, providing never before possible research opportunities for one of the most studied historical periods.

Additional Metadata

Primary Id: B0984100
PSM Id: NCCOF0063-C00000-B0984100
DVI Collection Id: NCCOC0062
Bibliographic Id: NCCO021300
Reel: 8399
MCODE: 4UVC
Original Publisher: Printed for J. J. Stockdale
Original Publication Year: 1811
Original Publication Place: London
Original Imprint Manufacturer: S. Gosnell


Variant Titles

Rosicrucian


Subjects

English fiction -- 19th century

Genres: Gothic, Classics, Horror, Short Stories, Literature

242 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1811

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:

* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author

Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.

See also: Anonymous

Reviews

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was a meh read. Interesting in places but felt wordy and uninteresting in others. Didn't enjoy the writing style. But maybe I should pick up something else by Percy Bysshe Shelley

[Grace Harwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Shelley's second gothic novel and, in my opinion, far superior to his first, Zastrozzi. Again, he has "borrowed" heavily from more established gothic novelists of the time. The reader can trace Emily St Aubert from The Mysteries of Udolpho in Eloise, moments from Charlotte Dacre's Zofloya and Radcliffe's The Italian. It's not so much plagiarism as a pastiche of a lot of contemporaneous works, but there is still some really fine writing in here. In the grand tradition of gothic novels, Shelley has interspersed his heroines' thoughts with some pieces of poetry, which, of course, is, in effect, some of Shelley's earliest poetry. Well worth reading for that alone. The other thing I noticed about this is the descriptions of Ginnoti's "natural sciences" and the description of the demon he encounters in his quest for the elixir of eternal life seems very similar to the appearance of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein's creature and some of the description in her most famous work. It always seems to me that all gothic novels are related somehow and some of them seem to be very close cousins indeed! I loved the ending of the book although it is a bit rushed at the end - still, unlike the rest of the book, it was original and pretty horrific stuff. This is a great gothic novel and very cheap to buy on kindle - if you are a fan of the genre or just a Shelley fan, then it's not to be missed.

[Murat Dural · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zamanının gencecik yaştaki en parlak delikanlılarından biri Percy Shelley. Özellikle şiirleri, Mary ile evliliği, dedikodular, sansasyonel edebi mirası, yine gencecik ölümü. Everest Yayınları'nın yeni başladığı seri sayesinde dönem özellikleri taşıyan güzel kitaplara, eserlere ulaşabiliyoruz. İlk defa bir nesirini okuyorum. Özellikle kurgu anlamında başarılı bulduğumu söyleyemem. çok fazla boşluk ya da anlık dönüşler var. Okur kaybolabiliyor. Ama şiirsellik, kelimeler ve cümlelerle dansı müthiş. Romantik dönem, gotik, tekinsizlik istiyorsanız Everest Yayınları'nın yeni serisindeki kitaplar, bu kitap kütüphanenizde olmalı.

[Sportyrod · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tired of living, Wolfstein finds himself on a tempting precipice deep within the Alps. Gothic supernatural volatile bolts of lightning, darkness and chaos ensue. Perhaps to spare him? He descends the mountain and comes across of group of people, who at long last give him the sense of belonging he was missing. This comes with a great cost, for the group are bandits.

A fair maiden is captured following the robbery of her wagon and slaying of the others who accompanied her. The leader of the bandit claimed her for himself. But she had other ideas. Considering himself fair, he gave her til morning to give herself to him, or be taken by force.

The leader was not the only bandit to fall instantly in love/lust with her. Wolfstein would need to do something drastic. And he does.

The narrative moves on to the societal value of marriage being the most genuine form of commitment, respect, and honour, in which Shelley provides an alternative. The author tests the very essence of this, and the book is consequently censored for a long time.

A dual narrative emerges, with the entrance of yet another fair maiden who is accosted by a friendly figure, following the death of her family. Only he has wicked intentions, and flaunts the alternative viewpoint to marriage. Although stoic and strong, this lass is also in need of rescue.

A major character, Ginotti, has an ulterior motive. He will help Wolfstein but the day will come, and he will owe him enormously. The plot involvement is secretive, to the extent of give me silence now, all will be revealed later. This is not my favourite type of plot tool, but I go along with it, thinking this reveal better be good….but it ended abruptly. There is a comment at the end explaining that the publisher demanded Shelley to add more to the ending, and he apparently responded with a terse paragraph that might well have been bullet points if not for being phrased in a paragraph. This addendum provided the gist of it, but it left many questions, like but how, and but why.

The writing was beautiful. The tension was there. The impending doom. A touch of supernatural. Great picture painted of the years leading up to 1810. The gothic horror was unique and interesting. The book was sitting at 4 stars, but the unsatisfying ending docked a star.

Despite my disgruntlement with the ending, if you do intend to read this, I daresay you will enjoy it regardless, as I did.

[Allegra Byron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Te sorprenderá la faceta más gótica en prosa de Shelley, conmigo por lo menos lo ha conseguido. La pena es que sea tan difícil de conseguir en español.

[Asena Erenay Yolcu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eşkiyalık ile başlayıp aşk macerası ile devam eden ve en son metafizik tartışmaları ile biten güzel bir metindi.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Förvirrande men ändå okej. Hade kanske tyckt om den mer om jag inte va omringad av flera äckliga förkylda snörvliga människor <3 kunde inte fokusera ordentligt.

[Carl Savich · Rating 5 out of 5]

St. Irvyne; or, The Rosicrucian, a Romance, was published in 1811, the second Gothic novel by Percy Bysshe Shelley, a follow-up to Zastrozzi, a Romance (1810).

St. Irvyne is an unfairly overlooked Gothic horror masterpiece. Percy Bysshe Shelley explored many of the themes he would later develop more fully.

Who or what is St. Irvyne? It is a castle in France where Eloise de St. Irvyne, Wolfstein's sister, lived. The Rosicrucian is Ginotti, also known as Frederic Nempere. A Rosicrucian, of The Rose Cross Order, was a member of a medieval sect or secret society that sought to find the secret to immortality. Ginotti is a Rosicrucian who wishes to impart the secret of immortality to Wolfstein, the main character. The theme of the novel is a quest to unveil "the latent mysteries of nature", to find the secret or meaning of life, and thereby, to achieve immortality, to live forever.

The novel opens with Wolfstein, the main character, trapped in a thunderstorm in the Alps near Geneva, Switzerland, the same locale for the later Frankenstein. He is a distraught wanderer who is disillusioned with life. He seeks to kill himself. He says that God creates nothing in vain, but he can find no purpose or meaning for his life. He is rescued by monks who are carrying a body for burial in a torch-light procession.

Bandits attack them. Wolfstein decides to join the bandits and goes to their underground cave hideout or cavern. The bandits kidnap Megalena de Metastasio and kill her father, an Italian Count. Megalena is taken captive by the bandits. The leader of the bandits, Cavigni, seeks to marry her. Agnes is a woman who is a servant to the bandits.

Wolfstein poisons Cavigni in his second attempt and escapes with Megalena to Genoa. Ginotti, a mysterious character who helps them escape, will later follow and stalk them.

In Genoa, Olympia makes advances on Wolfstein. In a jealous rage, Megalena demands that Wolfstein kill her to prove his love and fidelity. Olympia commits suicide after Wolfstein is unable to stab her with a dagger. Wolfstein and Megalena then flee.

In the meantime, Ginotti follows them to Genoa.

Ginotti then seduces the distraught Eloise de St. Irvyne, the sister of Wolfstein, who is vulnerable after the death of her ill mother in Geneva.

Ginotti is an alchemist of the Rose Cross sect, who seeks to give to Wolfstein the scientific formula for immortality or eternal existence, the secret of life. Since youth, Ginotti has sought to unveil "the latent mysteries of nature".

The theme of the novel is man's quest to ascertain the mysteries of life. Man seeks to be God. Man seeks to lift the veil of the secret of life. Inexorably, disaster, ruin, and tragedy result. Man oversteps the bounds of nature and falls to his doom. The novel foreshadows Frankenstein.

Can man unlock the secrets of life? Can man achieve immortality? And what are the costs? What are the consequences? These are the questions and themes of St. Irvyne.

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shelley: better as a poet. It is not a dull story, but it doesn´t leave a lasting impression either.

[Tayy Swift · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderful and dramatic, it gives you the touch of wanting to know more and more.

[Carl Savich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wolfstein versus Ginotti. A Review of St. Irvyne by Percy Bysshe Shelley

St. Irvyne; or, The Rosicrucian, a Gothic horror novel that Percy Bysshe Shelley published in 1811, has a similar and related theme to Frankenstein. Can man find the secret to life? In St. Irvyne, the alchemist and Rosicrucian Ginotti has "a desire of unveiling the latent mysteries of nature". The novel was republished in The Romancist in 1840 and the 1880 and 1888 Percy Bysshe Shelley prose collections.


Shelley's fascination with science began with Dr. James Lind, his teacher at Eton, and his reading of the works of Dr. Erasmus Darwin, Charles Darwin's grandfather. Percy Bysshe Shelley discussed Darwin in his Preface to Frankenstein (1818). He also cited him in Queen Mab (1813). In A Refutation of Deism (1814), Shelley argued for evolution.

St. Irvyne, and William Godwin's St. Leon: A Tale of the Sixteenth Century (1799) and Frankenstein, are similar in that they have as their theme the search for the secret to life. There was a real-life German physician and scientist, Dr. Johann Heinrich Cohausen, who claimed to have found the secret to immortality in Hermippus Redivivus; or, The Sage's Triumph over Old Age and the Grave (1742).


The main character of St. Irvyne is Wolfstein, a solitary wanderer, who like the Being in Frankenstein, seeks friendship and a meaning for his existence. Both Wolfstein and Frankenstein are obsessed with solitude and are involved in a quest for meaning and human companionship. Wolfstein asks why he was created by the Creator. God creates nothing in vain. But Wolfstein can find no meaning for his creation. Wolfstein wanders the Swiss Alps near Geneva, the scene of the later Frankenstein. He is rescued by monks who prevent his attempted suicide. Bandits then attack them. Wolfstein joins the banditti and goes to their cavern hideout. The bandits rob and kill an Italian count and abduct his daughter Megalena de Metastasio. Agnes is a woman who is part of the banditti. Steindolph reads a horror tale about the reanimation of the corpse of a nun. Cavigni plans to marry Megalena which Wolfstein opposes. Wolfstein poisons the leader of the bandits, Cavigni. Wolfstein declines to be the new leader of the bandits. Instead, Ardolph is chosen leader. Wolfstein escapes with the help of Ginotti. Megalena de Metastasio also escapes and befriends Wolfstein. They flee to Genoa followed by Ginotti.


Ginotti is a Rosicrucian, a member of the Rose Cross Order, a medieval sect that sought through science, by chemistry or alchemy, to find the secret to eternal existence, immortality. This idea is based on the experiments conducted by Paracelsus, Sanctorius, the Belgian Rosicrucian Jan van Helmont, and by Johann Cohausen, who claimed to have found the secret to long life in Hermippus Redivivus. Volatile salts contained in the human breath were alleged to enable human life to be extended indefinitely.


Ginotti seduces Wolfstein's sister, Eloise de St. Irvyne, who wrongly believes that Wolfstein is dead. St. Irvyne is the name of a castle in France. Ginotti then will impart the secret to immortality to Wolfstein if he becomes a Rosicrucian himself and denies God. Ginotti asks: "Wolfstein, dost thou deny thy Creator?" Tragedy and horror result when man seeks to unveil the secrets of life and of nature.


Percy Shelley had even written about the vampire theme, the undead who never die, in the poem "The Spectral Horseman", line 13, from Posthumous Fragments of Margaret Nicholson (1810): "Nor a yelling vampire reeking with gore."


St. Irvyne has uncanny and striking similarities to Frankenstein in both theme and in style. Both novels take place in the Swiss Alps around Geneva, where Percy Bysshe Shelley later lived. Both of the names of the main characters, Wolfstein and Frankenstein, are based on the names of German cities, Wolfstein, Germany and Frankenstein, Germany. Both novels have scientists who want to find the secret to eternal existence or immortality.


The alchemist in St. Irvyne asks: "Why may not human minds unveil the dim mists of futurity?" He determines that it is "possible to protract existence", to ensure "endless existence" and "eternal life". Ginotti reveals that "during the course of my philosophical inquiries, I ascertained the method by which man might exist for ever."


Wolfstein, Ginotti, Zastrozzi, Matilda, and the Being in Frankenstein have no compunction about committing murder. Wolfstein murders Cavigni and planned to murder Olympia in cold-blooded, pre-meditated murder. Ginotti related how he murdered a fellow student with pre-meditation and in cold blood. The Being in Frankenstein, likewise, commits murders without any compunction.


The influence of John Milton is pervasive on both novels. Both novels have epigraphs from John Milton's Paradise Lost, as does Zastrozzi. Even the cadences and literary styles are similar in both novels. In Frankenstein, the Being says: "I will glut the maw of death." In St. Irvyne, the narrator says: "...glut itself with hellish pleasure..." John Milton did not use "glut" as a verb, but Percy Bysshe Shelley did. Milton used "glut" as a noun. It is like Percy Bysshe Shelley left his fingerprints. The Being in Frankenstein, moreover, speaks in Shelleyan cadences that are a hallmark of St. Irvyne and the earlier Zastrozzi. How uncanny is that? Like Percy Shelley himself, the Being in Frankenstein has admired and adopted the style of John Milton, a poet, not a novelist. It is as if the Being's diction coach and language teacher was Percy Bysshe Shelley.


In both novels, the "pride", "vanity", and "malice" of man in seeking to become a God lead to disaster and tragedy. In an early poem, Shelley wrote: "I dare not unveil the shadows that float o'er eternity's vale." In St. Irvyne, the narrator admonished: "[L]et endless life be sought from Him...the God whom thou hast insulted." Unveiling the secrets of life and death is a "delusion of the passions", in both novels, reflecting the vanity of man and resulting in disaster and ruin and death.


Reading St. Irvyne reveals uncanny similarities to Frankenstein. St. Irvyne is available in several editions and is highly recommended. The Broadview Press edition also includes the rare chapbook Wolfstein; or, The Mysterious Bandit, a reduction of the St. Irvyne novel published in London by J. Bailey, circa 1815.


It is not disputed that Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote the original 1818 preface to the novel and he contributed at the very least 4,000 words to Frankenstein. He corrected the manuscript, made changes, made additions, rewrote parts, and changed passages. This is not in dispute. The only question is: How substantial was his contribution, and does it rise to the level where he should receive co-authorship? John Lauritsen makes a convincing case that Percy Bysshe Shelley should, at the very least, be given credit as co-author


St. Irvyne is highly recommended.

[kumori]

One of the two gothic novellas Percy Shelley wrote before he became a poet and there's a reason why these stories are not among the well known early gothic literatures. His writing skill at 17 year old was definitely not the same as his wife Mary's writing skill at 19 year old. Uncannily St.Irvyne reminds me of the more superior Mary Shelley's short story The Mortal Immortal

[Ali Buyukasik · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 star is generous

[Broden Windsor · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Every night at dinner, I’ll be there. Every birthday party, I’ll be there. Every Christmas, I’ll be there” -Ginotti probably