Difference between revisions of "Pierre Daniel Huet, Traitté de l’origine des romans (1670)"
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| + | is attended by them) espouses Philology (which is the Love od Good Letters)he gives her whatever is Escellent in them, for a Nuptial PResent: So that it is a continued Allegory, which propery does not deserve the NAme of Romance, but rather that of a Fable. For, as I have already observed, a Fable represents Things which never have, or ever can happen; and a Romace takes notice of Things which may, but never have happen'd. The Artifice of this Allegory is not very subtle; he Style is Barbarism it self; so bold and extravagant in its Figures, that they are unpardonable in the most Desperate Poet. Tis disguised with so great an | ||
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Revision as of 18:03, 30 October 2007
Editions
- Pierre Daniel Huet, Treatise of Romances, 1670, first English translation (1672). Oldenburg Anglistikserver
- Pierre Daniel Huet, History of Romances, 1670, translated by Stephen Lewis (1715) ECCO Oldenburg Anglistikserver
Text of the English edition published in 1715
Short Title
[ornament] THE| HISTORY| OF| ROMANCES [ornament]
Title page
THE| HISTORY| OF| ROMANCES.| AN| Enquiry into their Original;| Instructions for Composing them;| AN| Account of the most Eminent| AUTHORS;| With Characters, and Curious Observations| upon the Best Performance of that Kind.| [rule]| Written in Latin by HUETIUS;| Made English by| Mr. STEPHEN LEWIS.| [rule] ——juvat integros accedere fontes,| Atque haurire. Lucr.| [rule]| Rrinted for J HOOKE, at the Flower-de-luce,| and T. CALDECOTT, at the Sun; both against St.| Dunstan’s Church in Fleetstreet. 1715.
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THE
PREFACE.
THERE is not any Speculation, which affords a more agreeable Pleasure to the Mind, than that of beholding from what Obscure and Mean Beginnings, the most Polite and Entertaining Arts have
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risen to be the Admiration and Delight of Mankind. To pursue them up to the most abstruse Fountains, and then to view by what Steps they arise to Perfection; does not only excite an Amazement at their Increase; but an Impatient Desire of Inventing some New Subject, to be improv'd and advanc'd by Posterity.
The first Occasion of introducing ROMANCE into the World, was, without Dispute to mollify the Rigour of Precepts, by the Allurements of Example. Where the Mind can't be subdued into Virtue, by Reason and Philosophy; nothing can
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influence it more, than to present to it the Success and Felicity, which Crowns the Pursuit of what's Great and Honourable. As the Poet very elegantly alludes to Homer;
- Qui quid sit pulchum, quid turpe, quid utile, quid non
- Planius & melius, Chrysippo & Crantore dicit.
And since in all Ages there were very few real Instances, fit to be proposed for Exact Patters of Imitation; the Ingenious Fabulist was forced to supply them out of his own Invention.
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Hence it appears, that the Original of Romance is very Ancient; since this Way of Promoting Virtue has been received in the Earliest Ages; as is evident from the first Records of Mankind. And as it stands very remote from Modern Ages; so, That is found out, must be an High Satisfaction to the Curious in Antiquity.
Upon this Account, They are very much indebted to the Labour and Penetration of Huetius; who has, with great Judgement, traced the Subject he undertook to Illustrate, till he found it in
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its Infancy, involved in the Umbrage of Fable, and perplexed in the Folds of Mystery and Riddle.
This Task was enjoin'd Him (He informs us)
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Especially since Romance has of late convey'd it self very far into the Esteem of this Nation, and is become the Principal Diversion of the Retirement of People of all Conditions.
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But there were the first who corrupted them, and filled them with Lascivious and Amorous Narrations. Their Works are devoured by Time: We hear of no more than Aristides of them, who was the most Famous of the Romancers, and wrote several Books of Verse, called the Milesian Fables. I find that one Dionyius, a Milesian, who lived under the Reign of Darius the First, composed some Fabulous Histories; but since I can't certain wether this was any more than a compiling of Ancient Fables, and can't see sufficient Reason to believe, that they could properly be called Milesian Fables; I can't number
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is attended by them) espouses Philology (which is the Love od Good Letters)he gives her whatever is Escellent in them, for a Nuptial PResent: So that it is a continued Allegory, which propery does not deserve the NAme of Romance, but rather that of a Fable. For, as I have already observed, a Fable represents Things which never have, or ever can happen; and a Romace takes notice of Things which may, but never have happen'd. The Artifice of this Allegory is not very subtle; he Style is Barbarism it self; so bold and extravagant in its Figures, that they are unpardonable in the most Desperate Poet. Tis disguised with so great an
