Jerome's Warning about Meddling with Legitimacy (Simile)
As the faux-Walpole himself said in the first preface, there are no smilies in the text because the writing is simple and everything is oriented toward the action. However, we do encounter a simile when Jerome warns Manfred: “They start up...who are suddenly beheld in the seat of lawful Princes; but they wither away like the grass, and their place knows them no more" (89-90). This simile refers to Psalms 37:2, which says "For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb." It is also related to Isaiah 40:6 and I Peter 1:24, as well as to Shakespeare's Cymbeline, which states "You were as flowers, and now withered." The serious pedigree of Jerome's words makes this simile very effective in terms of suggesting how dangerous it is for Manfred to meddle with fate and legitimate rule.
Walpole's Critique of Ancient Fiction (Simile)
In the second preface of the novel, Walpole, now the admitted author of the text, addresses issues regarding his intended amalgamation of the ancient and modern romantic genres. He remarks that "The actions, sentiments, conversations, of the heroes and heroines of ancient days were as unnatural as the machines employed to put them into motion" (9)." This simile conveys his distaste for the dearth of nature in modern fiction. Characters acted in ways that seemed fake and mechanized, which Walpole says is just as fake as the "machines," a.k.a. ghosts and other unnatural things, the author put before his characters. Walpole thus makes clear his intent to have his characters react naturally to supernatural things.
Life as a Game (Metaphor)
Bianca chides Matilda for jumping to conclusions about Theodore's intentions regarding Isabella. She says "A by-stander often sees more of the game than those that play" (42). Life is the game that the main players play; however, outsiders—the bystanders—can see more of it than the players. Their perspective is relevant because they are not as emotionally involved in the game. Bianca listens to Matilda talking to Theodore and realizes that he was probably asking about her because he cared, not because he had a prurient interest. This is an apt metaphor in particular for a servant to use, as it is commonly the case that they observe more than they get credit f.
Life as a Pilgrimage (Metaphor)
A friar announces the death of the pious Hippolita (she was not actually dead) and tries to console the living by saying, "But this life is but a pilgrimage; we must not murmur—we shall all follow her; may our end be like hers!" (59). This is a common metaphor: life is a journey/pilgrimage and the end is death followed by heaven or hell. For those like Hippolita, who lived a virtuous and faithful life, the afterlife is heaven. The friar states that everyone should emulate her journey so they will end up in heaven rather than hell. It is not surprising that Hippolita is chosen as an example for this, because her piety is arguably excessive. She sublimates almost all aspects of herself to her husband and to her God on her weary life's journey; thus, she must be rewarded by Heaven.
Love as a Draught (Metaphor)
Matilda and Theodore find themselves falling in love as they converse before he prepares to flee the castle. Walpole writes, "the hearts of both had drunk so deeply of a passion which both now tasted for the first time" (69). The metaphor describes their intense, new love as a draught of some sort. This draught, perhaps an alcohol, has the ability to distort reality, heighten sensations and emotions, and allow people to fall headlong into passions or pursuits. It is a perfect metaphor for the quick and arguably ill-advised love between these two characters.
