Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890) - photo 1
Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890) - photo 2
Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890) - photo 3

Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890)

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£ 11 970
Auction dateClassic
15.12.2023 11:00UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
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ID 1108881
Lot 82 | Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890)
Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890)
11 autograph letters signed (‘R.F. Burton’, ‘Rich. F. Burton’, ‘R.F.B.’ and ‘Abdullah’) to John Payne, London, Trieste and Geneva, often n.d. but 27 May 1882 to 12 May 1884 and 8 November 1888
30 pages in total, various sizes, chiefly 103 x 127mm, one on a postcard, with 10 post-marked envelopes. Provenance: Sotheby’s, 23 & 24 July 1979, lot 174.

On the Arabian Nights: Burton advises the poet John Payne on his translation of the Middle Eastern classic, published just before Burton’s pre-eminent edition. Offering assistance to Payne in preparing his edition, for which he refuses any royalty payment (‘I cannot accept them’); often asking for Payne’s latest proofs or volumes of the Nights (on 5 August 1882 he requests Payne ‘Kindly send me at once vol. I and I will go through it with the text’, asks when the second volume will be ready to print) and, on one occasion, advertisements (‘I can place a multitude of copies’); recommending books, mentioning fellow authors, thanking Payne for his comments on – or sending copies of – his own works (on 1 September 1882 informing him that he has asked Bernard Quaritch to send Payne volumes of his Camoens); making textual and linguistic comments on Payne’s translation (‘How is it that you have no references marginal or top-page to the number of the Nights? Surely this is one of the first things for students? Also a notice of the Edit. from which you take the Nights. In your place too I should have strictly kept to the formula of the Original "And when it came to be the 10th night" etc This would have broken those long & heavy-looking Paras. English readers would have only skipped them – as they ought […] What news of vol. I? I am very anxious to see it’) as well as criticism of Arabic inherited from earlier editions, including the transliteration of certain words by Lane [in his 1847 edition]; with occasional reference to his position as consul in Trieste, including a mention of the 1882 [Grand International] Exhibition and a lengthier complaint, on 19 January 1884: ‘I am suffering from only one thing, a want to be in Upper Egypt. And of course they wont employ me. I have the reputation of being "independent" […] Chinese Gordon has been sacked for being "Eccentric" which Society abominates. England is now ruled by irresponsible clerks mostly snobs. My misfortunes in life began with not being a Frenchman’.

The Arabian Nights had been an important part of Burton's life for decades. In 1882 he began translating it in earnest; at the same time, the poet John Payne wrote to Burton to ask for his assistance in preparing his own translation (published in 9 volumes between 1882-1884 as The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night). Burton’s version was published almost immediately afterwards, under the title The book of the thousand nights and a night: A plain and literal translation of the Arabian nights entertainments (1885–8, 16 volumes); it was distinguished by his retention of the sexual content of the original Arabic versions, while his extensive footnotes drew on a lifetime of travel and research. Both Payne and Burton’s translations – unabridged and unexpurgated – were printed as private subscribers’ editions, partly owing to strict Victorian laws on obscene material. Despite its deliberately archaic style, Burton’s has become the pre-eminent English translation of the Middle Eastern classic: it is the keystone of Burton's literary reputation.


[With:] Bernard Quaritch (1819-1899). Autograph letter signed to Burton, London, 28 August 1882, informing him that he has not a copy of Macnaghten's Arabian Nights in stock, sending a copy of the Boulag edition instead, annotated by Burton (‘useless to me’) and Payne (‘Sept 1/ Just received this. What shall we do?’). One page.

Place of origin:England, Italy
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