In September of the year during the February of which Hawthorne had completed“The Scarlet Letter,” he began “The House of the SevenGables.” Meanwhile, he had removed from Salem to Lenox, in BerkshireCounty, Massachusetts, where he occupied with his family a small red woodenhouse, still standing at the date of this edition, near the Stockbridge Bowl.
“I sha’n’t have the new story ready by November,” heexplained to his publisher, on the 1st of October, “for I am never goodfor anything in the literary way till after the first autumnal frost, which hassomewhat such an effect on my imagination that it does on the foliage hereabout me—multiplying and brightening its hues.” But by vigorousapplication he was able to complete the new work about the middle of theJanuary following.
Since research has disclosed the manner in which the romance is interwoven withincidents from the history of the Hawthorne family, “The House of theSeven Gables” has acquired an interest apart from that by which it firstappealed to the public. John Hathorne (as the name was then spelled), thegreat-grandfather of Nathaniel Hawthorne, was a magistrate at Salem in thelatter part of the seventeenth century, and officiated at the famous trials forwitchcraft held there. It is of record that he used peculiar severity towards acertain woman who was among the accused; and the husband of this womanprophesied that God would take revenge upon his wife’s persecutors. Thiscircumstance doubtless furnished a hint for that piece of tradition in the bookwhich represents a