Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 1.djvu/33

 11 S. I. JAN. 8, 1910.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

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The British Museum has a copy of the English version issued in 1772, but does not possess that published in the following year, which, on account of the statements prefixed by the publisher, is of considerable interest in relation to what Isaac D'Israeli loved to regard as the secret history of literature. The title-page reads :

Usong. An Oriental history in four books, translated from the German of Baron Albert von Haller, President of the Royal Society at Gottin- gen, and the (Economical Society at Bern, &c. London : printed for J. Wilkie, No. 71, St. Paul's Church-yard ; C. Heydinger, opposite Essex Street, Strand ; and S. Leacroft, Charing Cross. MDCCLXXIIT.

The volume opens with a dedication to the Queen, by the translator. Then follows the

Advertisement

To the Public in General and the Booksellers in Particufar.

A Surreptitious English Edition of this Work, translated at second hand from the French, having lately appeared, the Proprietors of the following Translation from the German Original think it incumbent on them to acquaint the Public in general, and the Trade in particular, with the several remarkable circumstances attending this Publication.

In the beginning of the year 1772, the Pro- prietors of this Translation caused the following Advertisement to be inserted in most of the Town and Country News-Papers :

" In the Press, and soon to be published,

Usong ; An Oriental History. Translated from the German Original of Baron Albert von Haller, &c. Printed for C. Heydinger, opposite Essex Street, Strand."

This Advertisement being several times re- peated, the Proprietors thought they had effectu- ally secured to themselves an Exclusive Bight in the copy of the said Translation. Amongst the Trade such procedure is deemed quite suffi- cient to establish a Property in any work trans- lated from a foreign language.

Some time after this present Translation had been taken in hand, a German copy of Usong was presented to our most amiable Queen, by the desire of Baron Haller. After a perusal thereof Her Majesty expressed a wish of seeing it soon Translated into English. This hint was sufficient to set a Labourer in the Gospel Vineyard to work, the Rev. Mr. PI a zealously undertook the task, and Interestedly published his Translation, though he was informed, when he borrowed the German Original of Mr. Heydinger, that a Trans- lation was in hand.

As soon as the Proprietors heard of this Rev. Mr. PI a's Translation, one of them waited on him, with a view of accommodating matters ; but he then denied his having translated the AVork, and expressed some knowledge of a Translation undertaken by some of his acquaint- ance, which he however thought would never be printed. Six days after (Nov. 13, 1772) he sent a letter to Mr. Heydinger, wherein he thus

expresses himself concerning the Translation i " I did not know whether Usong translated in English, would ever be printed, but now I find it is actually in the Press, and the beginning printed off." A few days after his first volume was ready for publication, and the proprietors of this being- informed therof, found that the Rev. Mr. PI a had himself employed the Printer and the Book- seller. They accordingly waited on him a second time, and offered him Twenty Guineas, beside* paying all expenses for paper and print, to desist from publishing his Translation ; or to accept of precisely the same Conditions from him, and stop the publication of this edition. The Reverend Translator then owned his translation, but thought proper however to reject this equitable proposal. It was just, it was honourable, it was fair.

Whether the Stealing into the world a Surrep- titious Edition of a Work, whether taking ad- vantage of the Advertisement inserted by the Proprietors of the following Translation, and selling upon that advertisement ; whether infring- ing upon an honorary engagement, rigidly observed by all men of rectitude in the Bookselling branch of business ; whether this be not dishonourable, unfair, and totally unbecoming the character of a Clerical Translator, who highly declared himself void of self-interest, let the Public determine. All that the Proprietors will say for themselves is that at a considerable expence they have undertaken this Edition, and under every dis- couragement they have completed it, as well to- assert their own, as to maintain the rights of others in the Trade ; since, if those honorary engagements, which are now by Booksellers deemed Sacred, should once be broken through, literary Property is at an end, and no man will think of undertaking a Translation, the right to which he cannot ascertain, nor secure the property thereof.

The blank left in the name of the rival translator is easily supplied. The Rev, Andrew Planta, F.R.S., was " reader " to Queen Charlotte, and from 1758 until his- death was an assistant librarian in the British Museum. He died in 1773. His son Joseph Planta was a distinguished anti- quary, became Principal Librarian of the British Museum, and died in 1827 at the age of eighty-three.

It is a little curious that the British Museum should not contain this edition, but it does not appear in the printed Cata- logue. WILLIAM E. A. AXON.

Manchester.

THE " ICKNIELD " OR " ICKLETON WAY."

I find in a map of Berkshire that the Icenhilde Way is called the Icknield or Ickleton Way. The spelling Icknield is simply bad, because the Icenhilde Way, correctly spelt, is frequently mentioned in old charters. But " Ickleton Way " is far worse, because it is a desperate corruption made for no other reason than a desire to