History of Spanish Literature, vol. 3 (of 3)Ticknor, George
History
History of Spanish Literature, vol. 3 (of 3)
Ticknor, George
Spanish literature -- History and criticism
[61] I have never seen any edition of the Diana cited earlier
than that of Madrid, 1545; but I possess one in 4to, 112 leaves,
well printed at Valencia, in 1542, without the name of the
printer. The story of Narvaez, of which I shall have occasion to
speak when we come to Antonio Villegas, does not stand in the
fourth book of this copy, as it does in the copies of subsequent
editions. The Diana of Montemayor was so popular, that at least
sixteen editions of the original appeared in eighty years; six
French translations, according to Gordon de Percel (Bib. de
l’Usage des Romans, Paris, 1734, 12mo, Tom. II. pp. 23, 24);
two German, according to Ebert; and one English. The last, by
Bartholomew Yong, (London, 1598, folio,) is excellent, and some
of its happy versions of the poetry of Montemayor are found in
“England’s Helicon,” 1600 and 1614, reprinted in the third volume
of the “British Bibliographer,” London, 1810, 8vo. The story of
Proteus and Julia, in “The Two Gentlemen of Verona,” was supposed
by Mrs. Lenox and Dr. Farmer to be taken from that of Felismena,
in the second book of Montemayor’s Diana, and therefore Collier
has republished Yong’s translation of the last in the second
volume of his “Shakspeare’s Library,” (London, s. a. 8vo,)
though he doubts whether Shakspeare were really indebted to it.
Malone’s Shakspeare, Boswell’s ed., London, 1821, 8vo, Vol. IV.
p. 3, and Brydges, Restituta, London, 1814, 8vo, Vol. I. p.
498. Poor abridgments of the Diana of Montemayor, and of Polo’s
Continuation, were published at London, 1738, 12mo.
[62] Sometimes he wrote in both languages at once; at least, he
did so in his Cancionero, 1588, f. 81, where is a sonnet which
may be read either as Spanish or as Portuguese.
[63] In his _Argumento_ to the whole romance.
[64] Dorotea, Act II. Sc. 2. Obras Sueltas, Tom. VII. p. 84.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account