AN EARLY ‘GOTHIC’ NOVEL BY THE COMTESSE DE MURAT, WITH ADDITIONS BY MARGUERITE DE LUBERT. 12mo. 2 parts in 1. (1) ff, 188 pp; (1) ff, 212 pp. Bound in contemporary quarter calf with green corners; red-and-gilt title label on spine. Unidentified armorial bookplate on pastedown. Front joint chipped but holding perfectly; contents clean and fresh. Identical worming to margins of four disparate leaves (A12, B12, C12, D12) affecting a few letters of text – and suggesting the worm must have attacked while the leaves were still unfolded and unbound! Rare first ‘revised’ edition of this titillating novel set in a haunted castle in Brittany, composed during the final years of Henriette-Julie Murat’s scandal-ridden life. Perhaps due to her reputation during her lifetime as a lesbian of dubious moral standards, the first edition of the present work (1710) survives in just 5 copies worldwide; the present edition is the tale’s second appearance and is also rare in census, with no copies in US libraries according to OCLC. Written in 1709 and evidently inspired by her own imprisonment in the Chateau of Saumur, Les Lutins du Château de Kernosy (The Ghosts of Kernosy Castle) revolves around the charming Kernosy sisters and their guests, who relate a series of atmospheric tales intended to frighten their hosts. “In this novel, which many consider to be her best work, the ability of individuals, and of nobles in particular, to orchestrate their upward social mobility by manipulating the appearance of supernatural events again becomes a central theme. In this case, a count and a baron use the strategy to win the affections of two young noblewomen living in a solitary château.” (Allison Stedman, p. 9). Murat (ca. 1668-1716) was a member of the burgeoning female literary scene of late 17th century France, familiar with the likes of the Countess d’Aulnoy, Catherine Bernard, Marie-Jeanne Lheritier, and Catherine Bedacier. However her behavior was decidedly racier even than those femmes fortes. “On December 6, 1699… Murat became involved in a public scandal following the circulation of a report in which d’Argenson accused the countess of a number of ‘shocking practices and beliefs,’ including lesbianism… Murat remained [with her friend Madame de Nantiat] until the late autumn of 1701 when a police report, dated December 1, 1701, called upon royal authorities to determine a place of imprisonment for Murat, whose moral debauchery was then confirmed by the fact that [she] was five months pregnant. Murat was exiled to the Château de Loches in the Tourraine region on April 19, 1702, from which she attempted to escape in March 1706 wearing men’s clothing, a hat, and a wig.” (Stedman, pp. 7-8). The present edition was ‘edited and corrected’ with the addition of two further stories by Marguerite de Lubert (1702-1785), a well-known author of fairy-tales. “Lubert inserted shorter tales in frame narratives, such as…‘Peau d’ours’ (Bearskin) in her edition of Mme de Murat’s Les Lutins du château de Kernosy… Lubert develops and pushes to its limits the fairy-tale discourse of her time. Like d’Aulnoy, d’Auneuil, and Murat before her, Lubert writes tales that are sentimental love stories that highlight magical opponents and helpers. Yet, she adds more twists and turns to her plots and, especially, amplifies several stock features consecrated by her precursors. Magical objects and characters proliferate at every turn, which accentuates the implausibility of her stories. Lubert also delights in lengthy descriptions of luxurious but also horrifying settings…” (The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales, p. 368). As noted, the first edition (1710) survives in 5 copies worldwide according to the CCFr and OCLC (Nat Lib Australia, Indiana, Bnf x 2, and Troyes (‘en etat moyen’)). The present work has fared little better and is recorded in OCLC at Erlangen-Nürnberg, Gotha, the BnF, and the BnE. Bucknell University (PA) holds a photocopy of the BnF microform. The CCFr adds a few more copies in French libraries, including Marie Antoinette’s own copy at the Bibliothèque de Versailles. The absence of any copy in Dutch libraries, coupled with the typography leads us to assume the imprint is false. * For the first edition cf Cioranescu, A. 17, #50776; Barbier, II, 1354; Brunet VI, 17217; cf also Allison Stedman’s “Introduction” to Perry Gethner’s critical re-edition of Murat’s A Trip to the Country (2011).