Matilda: A Tale Of The Day - Softcover

Constantine Henry Phipps, Marquess Of Normanby

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0461867990 ISBN 13: 9780461867992

Publisher: HardPress, 1824

Synopsis

Matilda: A Tale Of The Day by Constantine Henry Phipps Marquess of Normanby. This early 19th?century English novel satirizes the manners of fashionable society and the marriage market. The narrative centers on Lady Matilda Dornton, her past love for Augustus Arlingford (later Lord Ormsby), and her arranged marriage to Sir James Dornton. Through Delaval Park and a web of aristocratic alliances, the story exposes the pursuits of status, wealth, and social approbation, while tracing the intrigues of relatives and the ultra-circle. In the excerpt, two young fashionables encounter a mysterious stranger who turns out to be Arlingford, fueling memories and tests of conscience. The plot moves from London to the Continent—Geneva, Chamouni, Milan, and the Simplon—where Matilda travels with Sir James, meeting Emily Arlingford and Count Santelmo. Themes include love versus duty, class pretensions, and the moral economy of aristocratic life, with musings on liberty and national identity through Santelmo’s Italian patriotism. The work blends social satire with romantic melodrama and political reflections, culminating in a dramatic Milan encounter that awakens passions and tests loyalties.

Edition details

• Publisher: HardPress
• Publication date: 1824
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0461867990
• ISBN 13: 9780461867992
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 294