lineThe Novel

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The most Celebrated Authors,
A Select Collection of Novels in four volumes (London: J. Watts, 1720).

A SELECT| COLLECTION| OF| NOVELS| In FOUR VOLUMES.| Written by the most Celebrated Authors| in several Languages.| Many of which never appear'd in English| before; and all New Translated from| the Originals,| by several Eminent Hands.| [line of typographical ornaments]| LONDON:| Printed for John Watts, at the Printing-Office| in Wild-Court near Lincolns-Inn-Fields.| [rule]| MDCCXX.

Remarks

One of the most important anthologies of the period - the collection which did more than any competing anthology of novels to define the genre and to equip it with a canon. Huet's treatise "Upon the Original of Romances" becomes with these volumes the standard history of the novel. The collection seems to have been an immediate sucess. Other London publishers joint Watts in 1721 (though the overall titlepage was dated 1722) in an updated version of now six volumes which seem to have sold throughout the decade.

History of Publication
A. 1-4.a this editionA Select Collection of Novels in four volumes written by the most Celebrated Authors in several Languages [...] all new translated from the Originals by several eminent hands (London: J. Watts, 1720).
  1-6.a A Select Collection of Novels in four volumes written by the most Celebrated Authors in several Languages [...] all new translated from the Originals by several eminent hands (London: W. Mears/ J. Broterton/ W. Meadows/ W. Chetwood/ J. Lacy, 1722). [A new titlepage prefixed and two further volumes added to the existing four volumes, which appear with their original publishing dates within the edition]link
  1-6.b "Second Edition with Additions" (1729).link
  1-6.c "Third Edition" advertised by Chetwood's Voyages, Travels and Adventures of William Owen Gwin Vaughan as printed by J. Osborn 6 vols.
Bibliographical Reference

W. H. McBurney (1960), p.42-43: 117. - ESTC: t175654. Druck: S. Croxall.

Description

4 volumes, 12°, with seperate paginations.

 
Vol. 1
  1.a frontispiece Inv.: L. Cheron; G.Vdr. Gucht sculp./ 2 farb. titlepage/ titlepage vol. 1/ [6] pp. dedication: Princess Anne; signed S.C./ [6] pp. preface
  1. titlepage: Monsieur HUET's| LETTER| TO| Monsieur de SEGRAIS,| Author of the following ROMANCE,| Upon the ORIGINAL OF ROMANCES.| [rule]| [vignette]| Printed in the YEAR 1720./ p.[i]-[l]ii English Translaton of: Huet, Pierre Daniel, Essai sur l'origine des romans (1670).
  2. p.[1]-263: ZAYDE.| A| Spanish HISTORY.| Written Originally in French by| MONSIEUR SEGRAIS. [i.e Marie Madeleine Pioche de La Vergne, Comtesse de La Fayette, Zayde (1670) published then as a novel by Jean Regnauld de Segrais.link]
  3. p.265-79: THE| MARRIAGE| OF| BELPHEGOR| Translated from the Italian Original of| NICOLAS MACHIAVEL. [i.e. Machiavelli, Belfagor arcidiavolo (1549).]
  4. p.281-333: THE| JEALOUS| ESTREMADURAN| Translated from the Spanish Original of| Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. [i.e. "El zeloso extremeno", from: Novelas exemplares (1613).]
Shelf-markslink{O: 8°A.168}.
Vol. 2
A Select Collection of Novels in four volumes written by the most Celebrated Authors in several Languages, 2 (London: J. Watts, 1720).

A SELECT| COLLECTION| OF| NOVELS.| VOLUME the SECOND.| CONTAINING,| The PRINCESS of CLEVES.| The FAIR MAID of the INN.| The FORCE of FRIENDSHIP.| The HISTORY of the CAPTIVE.| [line of typographical ornaments]| LONDON:| Printed for JOHN WATTS, at the Printing-Office| in Wild-Court near Lincolns-Inn-Fields.| [rule]| MDCCXX.

  2.a frontispiece Inv.: L. Cheron; G.Vdr. Gucht sculp./ titlepage/ [4] pp. dedication: Anne Boscawen; signed: S. C.
  1. p.[1]-213: THE| PRINCESS| OF| CLEVES| [...] [i.e. La Fayette, La Princesse de Cleves (1678).]
  2. p.[215]-80: THE| FAIR MAID| OF THE| INN.| Translated from the Spanish Original of| Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.| [...] [i.e. "La Ilustre fregona", from: Novelas exemplares (1613)]
  3. p.[281]-349: THE| FORCE| OF| FRIENDSHIP.| Written Originally in French| [...] [i.e. Lesage, Alain René, Le Diable boiteux, 2 (1707)]
  4. p.[351]-410: THE| HISTORY| OF THE| CAPTIVE.| Translated from the Spanish Original of| Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.| [...] [i.e. "La Historia del cautivo", from: Don Quixote, chap. 39-41 (1605)].
p.[411] advertisement, mostly plays. Shelf-markslink{L: 12410.c.13}.
Vol. 3
A Select Collection of Novels in four volumes written by the most Celebrated Authors in several Languages, 3 (London: J. Watts, 1720).

A SELECT| COLLECTION| OF| NOVELS.| VOLUME the THIRD.| CONTAINING,| DON CARLOS.| The HISTORY of Count BEFFOR and LEONORA DE CESPEDES.| The CURIOUS IMPERTINENT.| The PREVALENCE of BLOOD.| The LIBERAL LOVER.|The BEAUTIFUL TURK.| [line of typographical ornaments]| LONDON:| Printed for JOHN WATTS, at the Printing-Office| in Wild-Court near Lincolns-Inn-Fields.| [rule]| MDCCXX.

  3.a frontispiece Inv.: L. Cheron; G.Vdr. Gucht sculp./ titlepage/ [6] pp. dedication: Mrs. Lepel; signed: S. C./ [2] pp. "Table"
  1. p.[1]-88: DON CARLOS:| AN| Historical Novel.| Written Originally in French by the| ABBÉ de St. REAL.| [...] [ i.e. Dom Carlos, nouvelle historique (1672).]
  2. p.[89]-136: THE| HISTORY| OF THE| COUNT de Belflor| AND| Leonora de Cespedes.| Written Originally in French.| [...] [i.e. Lesage, Le Diable boiteux (1707).]
  3. p.[137]-93: THE| CURIOUS| IMPERTINENT.| Translated from the Spanish Original of| Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.| [...] [i.e. "La novela del curioso Impertinente", from: Don Quixote, chap. 33-35 (1605)].
  4. p.[195]-225: THE| PREVALENCE| OF| BLOOD.| Translated from the Spanish Original of| Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.| [...] [i.e. "La Fuerza de la Sangre", from: Novelas exemplares (1613)].
  5. p.[227]-92: THE| LIBERAL| LOVER.| Translated from the Spanish Original of| Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.| [...] [i.e. "El amante liberal", from: Novelas exemplares (1613)].
  6. p.[293]-355: THE| BEAUTIFUL| TURK.| translated from the French Original.| [...] [i.e. Gabriel de Brémond, La belle Turque (1680), source: Hattigé, ou les amours du roi de Tamaran (1676)]
p.[357] Advertisement. Shelf-markslink{L: 12410.c.14}.
Vol. 4
A Select Collection of Novels in four volumes written by the most Celebrated Authors in several Languages, 4 (London: J. Watts, 1720).

A SELECT| COLLECTION| OF| NOVELS.| VOLUME the FOURTH.| CONTAINING,| The HAPPY SLAVE.| The RIVAL LADIES.| The INNOCENT ADULTRY.| The HISTORY of the Conspiracy of the| SPANIARDS against the Republick| of VENICE.| [line of typographical ornaments]| LONDON:| Printed for JOHN WATTS, at the Printing-Office| in Wild-Court near Lincolns-Inn-Fields.| [rule]| MDCCXX.

  4.a frontispiece Inv.: L. Cheron; G.Vdr. Gucht sculp./ titlepage/ [6] pp. dedication: Mrs. Sarah Cornish; signed: S. C./ [2] pp. Table
  1. p.[1]-191: THE| HAPPY SLAVE.| Translated from the French Original.| [...] [i.e. Gabriel de Brémond, L'Heureux esclave (1677)].
  2. p.[193]-243: THE| RIVAL LADIES.| Translated from the Spanish Original of| Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.| [...] [i.e. "Las dos doncellas", from: Novelas exemplares (1613)].
  3. p.[245]-87: THE| Innocent Adultery.| Translated from the French Original of| Monsieur SCARRON.| [...] [i.e. "L'adultère innocent", from: Nouvelles tragi-comiques (1655)].
  4. p.[287]-372: THE| HISTORY| OF THE| CONSPIRACY| OF THE| SPANIARDS| Against the| Republick of VENICE.| In the Year MDCXVIII.| Translated from the French Original of the| ABBOT de St. REAL.| [...] [i.e.: Histoire de la Conjuration des Espagnols contre la republique de Venise en 1618, roman historique (1674)].
Shelf-markslink{L: 12410.c.15}.
Shelf-markslink

{L: 12410.c.12-17 [vols. 1 and 6 not on shelf]} {O: 8°A.168-171, 196, 197 Linc.} {E: Vts.121.l.3 [øvols. 2-4]} {NA:MH: 11443.16.20 [vol. 5 (1729)]}.

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