The First [- Sixth] Part of Miscellany Poems. Containing variety of new translations of the ancient poets: together with several original poems. By the most eminent hands. The fifth edition. Six volumes.

DRYDEN, John.

Published by Printed for J. Tonson in the Strand. 1727, 1727

Engraved frontispieces. 12mo. Some occasional light browning, two leaves vol. II loose in binding with sl. wear to leading edge. Full contemporary sprinkled calf, raised bands, red morocco labels; one label sl. chipped, some sl. rubbing, first few leaves vol. III marginal worming, old ink splash to leading edge of vol. V book block. v.g. Armorial bookplate of William Baird of Newbaith. ESTC T117014. 'Dryden himself credited his publisher Jacob Tonson (the Elder) with the idea of a new verse translation of Virgil and it was [their] partnership that established the direction of English literary translation in the later seventeenth century. [Tonson's] role in the publication of translations which went hand in hand with a series of monumental editions of the 'classics' of English literature and fine editions of Greek and Latin texts in the original languages - is an outstanding example of the conflation of astute commercialism with a sense of a national literary mission. The Poetical Miscellanies [first published in]1684-1709 [were] an occasional series of fat volumes of new, mainly short poems by a wide range of hands, each containing a substantial proportion of translations principally from the classics, to which Dryden became the leading contributor and sometimes effectively editor. Allowing translators to select excerpts from the originals on the basis of their particular appeal reduced the danger of longeurs for both translator and reader, and the user-friendly miscellany format itself played an important role in mediating classical culture to a newly heterogeneous audience.' Ref: Oxford History of Literary Translation in English, Vol 3, pp 40-41. Seller Inventory # 79841

Bibliographic Details

Title: The First [- Sixth] Part of Miscellany Poems...
Publisher: Printed for J. Tonson in the Strand. 1727
Publication Date: 1727