ID 1108881
Lot 82 | Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890)
Valeur estimée
£ 10 000 – 15 000
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.
| Lieu d'origine: | Angleterre, Italie |
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| Catégorie maison de vente aux enchères: | Lettres, documents et manuscrits |
| Lieu d'origine: | Angleterre, Italie |
|---|---|
| Catégorie maison de vente aux enchères: | Lettres, documents et manuscrits |
| Adresse de l'enchère |
CHRISTIE'S 8 King Street, St. James's SW1Y 6QT London Royaume-Uni | |||||
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| Aperçu |
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| Téléphone | +44 (0)20 7839 9060 | |||||
| Commission | see on Website | |||||
| Conditions d'utilisation | Conditions d'utilisation |
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| Numéro de lot | 82 |
|---|---|
| Maison de vente aux enchères | CHRISTIE'S |
| Date de l'enchère | 15.12.2023 |
Votre ordre: £ 100
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| Numéro de lot | 82 |
|---|---|
| Maison de vente aux enchères | CHRISTIE'S |
| Date de l'enchère | 15.12.2023 |
Erreur ordre
| Numéro de lot | 82 |
|---|---|
| Maison de vente aux enchères | CHRISTIE'S |
| Date de l'enchère | 15.12.2023 |
Вы уже сделали ставку в € 40 000 и ставка принята аукционным домом. Если вы хотите ее уменьшить, то обратитесь напрямую в администрацию аукционного дома.
Erreur ordre
| Numéro de lot | 82 |
|---|---|
| Maison de vente aux enchères | CHRISTIE'S |
| Date de l'enchère | 15.12.2023 |
Вы не можете делать ставки в данном АД, т.к. были внесены в черный список.
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| Numéro de lot | 82 |
|---|---|
| Maison de vente aux enchères | CHRISTIE'S |
| Date de l'enchère | 15.12.2023 |
Autobid est prêt
| Numéro de lot | 82 |
|---|---|
| Maison de vente aux enchères | CHRISTIE'S |
| Date de l'enchère | 15.12.2023 |
