‘THE MOST VALUABLE PRESENT TO OUR NATIONAL LITERATURE’
WIELAND, Christoph Martin; William SOTHEBY, translator.
Oberon, a Poem ...
London, Cadell and Davies, Edwards, Faulder, and Hatchard, 1798.
Two vols, 8vo, I: pp. [iv], 206; II: pp. [ii], 234, [2 (errata)]; a fine set; in contemporary half calf with marbled sides, gilt red morocco title-pieces, volume numbers gilt directly, monogram to spine of Mary Hill, Marchioness of Downshire (see below); boards lightly rubbed.
First octavo edition of Sotheby’s (1757–1833) celebrated translation of Wieland’s (1733–1813) German epic, Oberon, in part based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, instrumental in popularising Wieland’s works in England.
There was also a large-paper quarto edition for presentation. Wieland’s outstanding popularity in England (rivalled only by Solomon Gessner) in the latter half of the eighteenth century was largely due to his light and easy style, perceived as typically un-German. Indeed, he modelled his work on such English writers as Sterne, and was much influenced by French philosophy. With Oberon, Wieland’s success had already firmly established in Germany – in 1780 Goethe had written ‘As long as poetry remains poetry, gold remains gold, and crystal remains crystal, Wieland’s Oberon will be loved and admired as a poetic masterpiece’ (trans.) – but Sotheby’s translation made Wieland’s reputation in England more than any other work. Crabb Robinson described Oberon as ‘the most valuable present to our national literature from the German’. With this too Sotheby’s own literary reputation was established, where his original verse and historical tragedies had met with little success.
Wieland had previously banned any translation of his work, but Sotheby was unaware of the author’s disapproval and sent him a copy. Upon reading it, Wieland appeared to have forgotten his ban, and expressed great satisfaction at the result, ‘a true masterpiece’ which ‘possesses all the grace and delicate lightness of the original and can be considered a model of faithful and conscientious translation’ (trans.)
Provenance:
From the library of Mary Hill (née Sandys, 1764–1836), Marchioness of Downshire and later Baroness Sandys, a wealthy heiress, society hostess and literary patron, and widow of the politician Arthur Hill. Raised by her uncle, one of Samuel Johnson’s ‘Streatham Worthies’, she became a friend of both the Prince of Wales and Mrs Fitzherbert, and once entertained the Prince for four days at the family seat of Ombersley.
ESTC T99051.
