This short was reprinted in Night’s Black Agents and was originally printed in ‘The Penny Play-Book; or, library of dramatic romance: no. 6.’ In 1836. One reason for highlighting the story is to give some acknowledgment of the author Thomas Peckett Prest. Often associated with Varney the Vampire, I am very much of the school that Varney was primarily penned by James Malcolm Rymer (though sub-contracted writers will have been involved during its massive run). Editor of Night’s Black Agents, Daniel Corrick, is more generous when suggested Prest co-wrote the later Penny Dreadful.
This was, however, a Prest creation and was a prose version of a stage play. It follows the trials and tribulations of a poor pair of youths, Tom and Clara, who reside with the wizened Urilda – a morose 108-years old. Her missing husband was Genano – the vampire of the title. He has given long life, though not youth, to his wife.
Genano re-enters their lives when Tom strikes his tree with an axe and offers Urilda more years and even transforms her to look like a Countess (who drowned whilst travelling to take Tom under her wing). We get a very Polidori scene of the vampire being stabbed and eliciting help from Tom to place his body where it can be touched by moonlight (whilst surrounded by a ring of magical liquid) so that he can revive.
The vampire has designs on Clara and we get the trope of the vampire wishing to marry his victim, in this case explicitly stated why, as “the fatal time was fast approaching at which Genano was compelled to sacrifice a young and virtuous damsel, to prolong his mortal career” (2023 [1836], p55). This sacrifice is to take place in the Halls of the Vampires – a subterranean chamber some 40 fathoms down.
An interesting early genre piece that was firmly playing within the tropes established by, and developed since, Polidori.
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