Publisher's Synopsis
Arthur Mervyn is a novel written by Charles Brockden Brown, first published in 1799. The story is set in Philadelphia during the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. Arthur Mervyn is a young man who comes to Philadelphia to seek his fortune, but he is soon caught up in the chaos of the epidemic. He meets a variety of characters, including a doctor, a thief, and a wealthy merchant, and becomes embroiled in their lives.As the epidemic spreads, Arthur finds himself struggling to survive. He witnesses firsthand the devastation that the disease causes and the panic that it incites. He also becomes involved in a number of intrigues and conspiracies, as various characters seek to take advantage of the chaos for their own purposes.Throughout the novel, Brown explores themes of social inequality, morality, and the nature of human suffering. He also offers a vivid portrayal of life in Philadelphia during this tumultuous period in American history.Arthur Mervyn is considered one of the first American Gothic novels, and it has been praised for its realistic depiction of the yellow fever epidemic and its engaging characters.It was plain that some connection subsisted between her and Welbeck. Would she drop the subject at the point which it had now attained? Would she cease to exert herself to extract from me the desired information, or would she not rather make Welbeck a party in the cause, and prejudice my new friend against me? This was an evil proper, by all lawful means, to avoid. I knew of no other expedient than to confess to him the truth, with regard to Clavering, and explain to him the dilemma in which my adherence to my promise had involved me.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.