Religion, a Poem: From the French of the Younger Racine

Racine [Louis Racine]

Edité par Printed by W. Strahan, & Sold by J. Hodges, J. Newbery, W. Owen, A. Strahan, & Wilson & Durham, London, 1754

A propos de cet article

From the French of the Younger Racine (printed on title page). First published in French in 1742, this is the first edition in English, published 1754. An uncommon title (apparently ESTC lists only 7 copies). A popular poem, often reprinted. This is the only work by Louis Racine to be translated into English - the translator has not been identified. The English translation is possibly the work of Scottish educationalist James Elphinston (1721-1809) (Dictionary of National Biography, vol. 17, p. 311), an eccentric schoolmaster who was a friend of Samuel Johnson. Louis Racine (1692-1763) was the second son (the seventh & last child) of the famous French dramatist, Jean Racine, and was the author of several pious works, as well as of memoirs of his father & essays on poetry. "Louis Racine was a French poet of the Age of the Enlightenment. He was interested in poetry from childhood but was dissuaded from trying to make it his career by the poet Boileau on the grounds that the gift never existed in two successive generations. However, in 1719 Racine became a member of the Académie des Inscriptions and published his first major poem, La Grâce, in 1722. But, because of the poem's Jansenist inspiration, Cardinal de Fleury, chief minister of Louis XV, blocked the poet's admission to the Académie Française, and instead Racine was induced to accept the post of inspector-general of taxes at Marseille in Provence. For the next 24 years, although he continued to write poetry, Racine worked as a tax inspector in various provincial towns and cities, marrying in 1728. His most important poem, La Religion, in which he was careful to avoid further accusations of Jansenism, was published in 1742. Louis Racine was characterised by Voltaire, the leading French intellectual of his day, as le bon versificateur Racine, fils du grand Racine ("the good versifier Racine, son of the great Racine"). His Oeuvres complètes (complete works) were collected in six volumes and published in Paris in 1808. He was said by his contemporaries to have been a very personable, humble man who was sincerely pious and fluent in seven languages." With author's preface. Includes printed errata corrections on final page. Small volume. Laid paper. With title page vignette & ornamental tailpieces. Bound in full leather, raised bands, gilt-ruled borders to boards, no external lettering. NOTE: A GOOD COPY ONLY. Ex-library copy (Vatican Apostolic Library Duplicate) with ink stamp "Duplicato Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana" to both title page & final page. Front board almost detached, both boards slightly worn & soiled, chip to foot of spine, lightly foxed throughout, some penciling, minimal worm damage upper corner of rear pages, otherwise despite the faults a nice tight complete copy. xii + 216pp. RARE.

N° de réf. du vendeur 001393

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: Religion, a Poem: From the French of the Younger Racine
• Éditeur: Printed by W. Strahan, & Sold by J. Hodges, J. Newbery, W. Owen, A. Strahan, & Wilson & Durham, London
• Date de parution: 1754
• Reliure: Leather
• Édition: First Edition
• État de l'article: Good
• Catalogues du vendeur:
  • Religion
  • Poetry
  • Antiquarian