St. Leon

St. Leon is a novel by William Godwin, first published in 1799. The story follows the life of the titular character, St. Leon, who is a wealthy and respected man living in France during the 16th century. However, his life takes a dramatic turn when he discovers the secret of immortality and becomes an outcast from society.St. Leon's journey takes him across Europe and into the hands of various characters, including a group of alchemists, a band of robbers, and a wealthy noblewoman. Along the way, he must grapple with the consequences of his immortality, including the loss of loved ones and the isolation that comes with living through centuries.The novel explores themes of power, corruption, love, and morality, as St. Leon struggles to find meaning in his eternal life. Godwin's writing style is characterized by its philosophical depth and introspection, as well as its vivid descriptions of the landscapes and people of 16th century Europe.St. Leon is considered one of Godwin's most influential works, and is credited with helping to popularize the genre of Gothic fiction. It remains a classic of English literature, and continues to be studied and admired by scholars and readers alike.In the evening of the same day, my beloved Marguerite arrived unexpectedly at Paris. In the beginning of our separation, I had been to the last degree punctual in my letters. I had no pleasure so great, as retiring to my closet, and pouring out my soul to the most adorable of women. By degrees I relaxed in punctuality. Ordinary occupations, however closely pursued, have a method in them, that easily combines with regularity in points of an incidental nature. But gaming, when pursued with avidity, subverts all order, and forces every avocation from the place assigned it.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.