The memoir chronicles the life and milieu of Horace Walpole, tracing his family origins, education, Grand Tour travels in Europe, and roles within political and literary circles. It describes his cultivation of taste through art collecting and antiquarian pursuits, the creation and ornamentation of his Twickenham house known as Strawberry Hill, and his venture into printing and publishing there. The narrative draws on letters, anecdotes, and contemporary gossip to illuminate friendships, rivalries, and literary output, including early Gothic fiction, while appending a catalogue of works produced at his private press.