Index | Book
I | Book II | Book III | Book IV |
Book V | Book
VI
Book VII | Book
VIII | Book IX | Book X | Book XI |
Book XII
THALABA THE DESTROYER
By
Robert Southey
VOLUME THE FIRST.
In the continuation of the Arabian Tales, the Domdaniel is mentioned; a Seminary for evil Magicians, under the Roots of the Sea. From this seed the present Romance has grown. Let me not be supposed to prefer the rhythm in which it is written, abstractedly considered, to the regular blank verse; the noblest measure, in my judgement; of which our admirable language is capable. For the following Poem I have preferred it, because it suits the varied subject; it is the Arabesque ornament of an Arabian tale.
The dramatic sketches of Dr Sayers, a volume which no lover of poetry will recollect without pleasure, induced me, when a young versifier, to practise in this rhythm. I felt that while it gave the poet a wider range of expression, it satisfied the ear of the reader. It were easy to make a parade of learning, by enumerating the various ieet which it admits; it is only needful to observe, that no two lines are employed in sequence which can be read into one. Two six-syllable lines, it will perhaps be answered, compose an Alexandrine; the truth is that the Alexandrine, when harmonious, is composed of two six-syllable lines.
One advantage this metre assuredly possesses, the dullest
reader cannot distort it into discord: he may read it
prosaically, but its flow and fall will still be perceptible.
Verse is not enough favoured by the English reader: perhaps this
is owing to the obtrusiveness, the regular Jews-harp twing-twang
of what has been foolishly called heroic measure. I do not wish
the improvisatore tune; but something that denotes the sense of
harmony, something like the accent of feeling, like the tone
which every Poet necessarily gives to Poetry.
Cintra, October 1800.
A list of the works cited or probably referred to in the
notes to the first edition of Thalaba
From Appendix C in The early life of Robert Southey, 1774-1803 by
William Haller
BOOKS OF ANTIQUARIAN AND CURIOUS INFORMATION
Abyssinian historian.
The note in which allusion is made to an Abyssinian historian is
taken practically verbatim from James Bruce
Admirable Curiosities etc. See Burton.
Aelianus. See Mexia.
Argens, Jean-Baptiste de Boyer, Marqub d'. Lettres juives, . .
La Haye 1736; Eng. trans. London 1739, Dublin 1753, London
Buffon, G. L., Leclerc, Comte de. Histoire Naturelle des Mindrauz . . . Paris 1783-88. Many later editions and translations.
Burnet, Thomas. Telluris Theoria Sacra. London 1681-89; trans. into English by the author with additions, London 1684-89 (Dictionary of National Biography). Many later editions.
Burton, R. (pseud, of Nathaniel Crouch.) Admirable Curiosities, Rarities, and Wonders in Great Britain and Ireland . . . 10th. ed. London 1737.
Carlos Magno, Historia do Imperador, etc. See Turpin.
Davies, J. History of Magic. See Naude.
Eleazar, Rabbi.
Reference unlocated.
English Martyrologe, The. (John Watson?) . . . 1608.
Garcia Lasso de la Vega . . . Los Commentarios Reales, que tratan del origen de los Yncas, Reyes que fueron del Peru, . . . Lisboa 1609; trans, into Eng. London 1688.
Godwin, [or Godwyn], Thomas. Moses and Aaron. Civil and Ecclesiastical Rites, used by the ancient Hebrews; . . . 1625
(Die. Nat. Biog.); second ed. London 1626.
Grimstone, Edward. A Generall Historie of the Netherlands . . . London 1608.
Grose, Francis. A Provincial Glossary; with a collection of popular Superstitions, London 1787; enlarged 1790.
Heeren, [Heering], Professor, of Gottingen. On Transplanting the Camel to the Cape of Good Hope; . . . Month. Mag. v. 8, Jan. 1, 1800.
Jortin, John. Sermons, 7 vols., London 1787.
Leonardus, Canullus. Speculiun Lapidum, Venetiis 1502; The Mirror of Stones; . . . Now first translated into English. London 1750.
Lettres Juives. See Argens.
Margarita Philosophica. See Reisch.
Matthew of Westminster. See Paris.
Mexia, Pedro. The treasurie of auncient and modeme times, . . . (from) . . . Pedro Mexia and Francesco Sansovino, (etc) . . >London 1613-19.
Naude, Gabriel. Apologie pour tous les Grands Personnages quiont este faussemment soupgonnez de Magie. Paris 1625; trans. into Eng. by John Davies of Kidwelly (Catalogue of the Library of Peabody Institute, Baltimore) as The History of Magick, by >way of apology for all the wise men who have unjustly been reputed magicians, . . . London 1657.
Nuremburg Chronicle. See Schedel.
Paris, Matthew. Historia Major (or Chronica Majora). First printed London 1571; many later editions. Continuous with Flores Historiarum, first printed London 1567; with additions London 1570. Ascribed to Matthew of Westminster.
Reisch, Gregorius. Margarita Philosophica, . . . Strasbourg 1504
(1505 n. s.); Basileae 1535. Saxonis Grammatici Historiae Danicae libri XVI. Stephanus
lohannis Stephanius summo studio recognovit, . . . Sorae 1644-45; another ed. Lipsiae 1771.
Schedel, Harimann. Nuremburg Chronicle, Nuremburg 1493.
Setphanius [sic]. See Saxonis.
Smellie, William. The Philosophy of Natural History, Edinburgh 1790-99.
Treasury, . . . See Mexia.
Tristan L'Hermite, Fr. Plaidoyers historiques; — Paris 1643; Lyon 1650 (Manuel du Libraire . . . J. C. Brunet).
Turpin, archevdque de Reims (Attributed to). Cronique et Histoire . . . du . . . Roy Charles le grat . . . Paris 1527. Many later editions and translations. Southey quotes the title in Portuguese and may have used the translation into that language by J. Moieira de Carvalho, Lisbon 1800-1799.
Universal History, An, from the earliest account of time to the present: compiled from original authors ... 23 vols. London 1736-65; another ed. 1747 ed. in 26 vols. 1740-65.
ORIENTAL AND PSEUDO-ORIENTAL SOURCES
Arabian Nights Entertainments, trans. from A. Galland, Les Mille et Une Nuits, Contes Arabes, traduits en Frangois. .. 1704-; another ed. in Le Cabinet des F6es 1785-86; trans. into English 1713 (fourth ed.); many later eds. and translations. Arabian Tales. La suite des Mille et Une Nuits, Contes Arabes, tr. par Dom Chavis et M. Cazotte, in Le Cabinet des F6es, ... Paris 1788-89; trans. into English by R. Heron 1792; another ed. 1794.
Asiatic Researches, . . . Calcutta 1788-1839 (Catalogue of the Library
of Congress)] 12 vols. 1801-11.Bahar-Danush; or. Garden of Knowledge, . . . Inatulla, Trans, from the Persic ... by Jonathan Scott, Shrewsbury 1799
Beckford, William. Vathek, . . . trans, from the French with notes by S. Henley, London 1786; pub. in French 1787. Caherman Nameh or History of Caherman. Quoted from D'Herbelot
Carlyle, J. D. Specimens of Arabian Poetry ... Cambridge 1796. D'Herbelot, Barthelemi, concluded by Antoine Galland. Bibliotheque Orientale, . . . La Haye 1777-79. First ed. Paris 1697; Maestricht 1776.
Ferdusi. See Jones, Traits sur la Po^sie Orientale.
Hafez. Quoted from Jones, Poeseos, q. v.
Hau Kiou Choan; or, the pleasing History. A translation from the Chinese . . . [by James Wilkinson^ London 1761 (Ed. by Thomas Percy).
Die, Not. Biog, states that this work was translated by Percy from a Portuguese manuscript.
Jones, Sir William.
Traite sur la Poeie Orientale, 1770 (Die. Nat. Biog.). Includes an abstract of Channame [Ferdusi] with illustrative extracts in French.
Poems, consisting chiefly of translations from Asiatic Languages, . . . [with] . . . two Essays on the Poetry of the Eastern Nations, and on the Arts called Imitative, 1772; 1777. Poeseos Asiaticae Commentariorum libri sex . . . London 1774;
Lipsiae 1777. Works, ed. by Lord Teignmouth and Lady Jones, 6 vols. 1799; two supplementary vols. 1801; Memoirs 1804; Works (including all the above) 13 vols. 1807; an ed. with date not given, 13 vols.
Koran. See Sale.
Lamai. Quoted from D'Herbelot
Moallakat. See Jones.
Marraci, Ludovicus. Alcorani textus universus ... in Latinum translatus, . . . Patavii 1698; Leipzig 1721.
Poeseos Asiaticae Commentarii. See Jones.
Sale, George. The Koran, commonly called the Alcoran of Mohammed, trans, into English immediately from the original Arabic, with Explanatory Notes, taken from the most approved commentators, to which is prefixed a Preliminary Discourse, London 1734; new ed. Bath 1796.
Scott, Jonathan. See Bahar-Danush.
Scott, Major. Identity not established. Southey may refer to Jonathan Scott (see Bahar-Danush) or to his brother Major John Soott-Waring, author of several works on affairs in British India.
HISTORIES AND DESCRIPTIONS OF STRANGE LANDS, AND BOOKS OF TRAVEL
Ambassadors' Travels. See Olearius.
Astley, T. A New General Collection of Voyages and Travels . . . London 1745-47. Includes, The Journey of Anthony Gaubil, Jesuit, from Eanton to Peking in 1722.
Bartolomeo, Fra Paolino da San (Philipp Weredin). Yiaggio alle Indie Orientali. Romae 1796; trans, into German 1798 (Kayser, Bucher-Lexicon); trans, into English from the German by W. Johnston, London 1800. (Lib, Cong.).
Bruce, James, of Kinnaird. Travels to discover the source of the Nile, ... (in the years) . . . 1768-1773. Dublin 1790.
Chandler, Richard. Travels in Asia Minor, . . . Oxford 1775 (Lib. Cong.); London 1776; 1817.
Chardin, John. Voyages ... en Perse, et autres lieux de Orient, Amsterdam 1711; enrichis de Figures . . . nouvelle ed. Amsterdam 1735 (Lib. Cong.) ; an ed. of the first portion of the work, London 1686; the first vol. trans, into Eng. 1686. Also in Harris.
Chenier, Louis Sauveur de. Recherches historiques sur les Maures, et histoire de I'Empire de Maroc, Paris 1787; trans, into Eng. London 1788.
Churchill, Awnsham and John. A Collection of Voyages and Travels, . . . London 1704-32; 1732; 1744, 1752.
Dampier, William. A New Voyage roimd the World . . . 1697- 1709. Also in Harris. Quoted by Southey as History of the Buccaneers.
De La Roque, Jean. Voyage de Syne et du mont Liban: . . . Paris 1772; Amsterdam 1723.
D'Ohsson, I. de M. Tableau general de Tempire Othoman . . .Paris 1787-1820; trans, into English, Philadelphia 1788; London 1789 (Lowndes, Bibliog. Manual).
Du Halde, Jean Baptiste. Description . . . de L'Empire de la Chine . . . Paris 1735; trans, into English by R. Brooks, London 1736.
Fryer, John. New accoimt of East India and Persia . . . 1672-81, London 1698.
Gaubil. See Astley.
Gemelli-Careri, Giovanni Francesoo. Giro del mondo . . . Napoli 1699-1700; trans, into English in Churchill
Greaves, John. Pyramidographia: or, a description of the Pyramids in Aegypt, London 1646. Also in Churchill.
Guys, Pierre Augustin. Voyage litteraire de la Grece, ou Lettres sur les Grecs, . . . Paris 1771; nouvelle. . . . augments . . . 1776; third ed. 1783 (Lib. Cong.). Hakluyt, Richard. The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation . . . etc. 1598-1600.
Includes:
The voyage of M. John Eldred to Tripolis in Syria by sea, and
from thence by land and river to Babylon, and Balsara. Anno
1583.
The voyage of Master Cesar Frederick into the east India . .
1563.
The voyages of M. Anthony Jenkinson.
The voyage of . . . Ralph Fitch ... to Goa in the East India, ...
etc 1583-1591.
Voyage of . . . Odoricus to Asia Minor, Armenia . . . etc.
Certain letters in verse, written out of Moscovia by George
Tuberuile . . . 1568.
Hanway, Jonas. An Historical account of the British Trade over the Caspian Sea; with Journal of Travels . . , London 1753.
Irwin, Eyles. A series of adventures in the course of a voyage up the Red-Sea, . . . in . . . 1777 . . ., London 1780.
Jackson, John. Journey from India towards England in the year 1797 . . . London 1799.
Jenkinson. See Hakluyt.
Knolles, Richard. The Generall Historie of the Turkes . . London 1603; 1610.
Mandeville, Sir John. The Voiage and trauayle of , . . . London 1568. (The first English edition appeared about 1500.) Many later editions, among them one in London 1725.
Mandelslo. See Olearius.
Marigny, L'abbe Augier de. Histoire des Arabes sous le gouvemement des Califes, Paris 1750; trans, into English, London 1758. Histoire des Revolutions de I'Empire des Arabes, Paris 1750-52.
Morgan, John. A complete history of Algiers, London 17283-1731.
Nieuhof , Jan. Het Gezantschap der Ne^rlandtsche Oost-Indihesc Companie aan den grooten Tartarischen Cham . ., Amsterdam 1665; 1693; trans, into French, Leyden 1665; into Latin, Amsterdam 1668; into English, London 1669; 1673. Also in Astley and in Churchill, q. v.
Niebuhr, Carsten. Beschreibung von Arabien . . Copenhagen 1772; trans, into French, Copenhagen 1773; Amsterdam 1774. Reisebeschreibung nach Arabien . . . Copenhagen 1774; trans, into French, 1776-80; into English, Edmburgh 1792. Recueil de questions par Michaelis . . . , Amsterdam 1774
In the Southey Sale Catalogue the three works are included together under the date, Copenhagen 1774.
Norden, Frederic Louis. Vojrage d'Egypt et de Nubie . . . Copenhague 1755; trans, into English ... by P. Templeman, London 1757.
Odoricus. See Hakluyt.
Olearius, Adam. The yoya,ges and Travels of the Ambassadors sent by Frederick Duke of Holstein, to the Great Duke of Muscovy, and the King of Persia . . . 1633-1639 . . . whereto are added the Travels of John Albert de Mandelslo . . . from Persia into the East Indies . . . Faithfully rendered into English by John Davies of Kidwelly, London 1662. Also in Harris.
Park, Mungo. Travels in the Interior districts of Africa . . . 1795 . . . 1797 . . . appendix ... by Major Rennell, London 1799.
Pausanius. Description of Greece . . . (Translated by Thos. Taylor.) London 1794; 1824.
Pococke, Richard. A Description of the East . . . London 1743-45.
Pontoppidan, Erik. The Natural History of Norway . . . (Trans, from the Danish of 1552, 1753), London 1755.
Purchas, Samuel. Purchas his Pilgrimage; . . . London 1613; 1614; 1617; 1626; Purchas his Pilgrimes, (Haklytus Posthimius), London 1625. Rauwolf. The note alluding to Rauwolf is quoted verbatim from the notes to the Universal History.
Russell, Alexander. The Natural History of Aleppo . . . London 1756; second ed. . . . enlarged . . . notes by Pat. Russel, London 1794.
Shaw, Thomas Travels . . . (in) . . . Barbary and Levant, Oxford 1738; second ed. with improvements, London 1757.
Sonnerat, Pierre. Voyage aux Indes Orientales et la Chine . . 1774-81, Paris 1782; trans, by F. Magnus into Eng. Calcutta 1788-89.
Sonnini de Manonoourt, C. N. S. Voyage dans la Haute et Basse . . Paris (1799); trans, into English by Hunter, London 1799.
Tavenier, Jean Baptiste. Les Six Voyages . . . Paris 1676; 1692 (Brunet); "Made into English by J. P." (J. Philips and E. Everard), 1684. Also in Harris.
Toumefort, Joseph Pitton de. Relation d'un Voyage du Levant, . . .Paris 1717; Amsterdam 1718; trans, into English, London 1718.
Turbervile. See Hakluyt.
Valle, Retro della. Viaggi ... in tre parti, ... la Turchia, la Persia, e Tlndia, Roma 1650; Venice 1667; trans, into English London 1665. Southey's reference to this author is found in full in the notes to the Universal History.
Vasconcellos, Simao de. Vida do . . . padre Joseph de Anchieta . . . , do Brasil, Lisboa 1672.
Volney, C. F. Chasseboeuf, comte de. Voyage en Syne et en Egerpte . . . 1783-1785, 1787; seconde ed. revue et corrige, Paris 1787; trans, into English, London 1787; 1805.
SOURCES OF LITERARY ILLUSTRATIONS
Note: Southey makes references to the following authors or works which have been omitted from this list: The Old Testament and the Apocrypha, Euripides, Ariosto, Don Quixote, Gower, Shakespeare, Spenser, Jeremy Taylor, Gibbon, Erasmus Darwin Burger, and Dr. Frank Sayers.
Boccage, Marie-Anne du. La Colombiade . . Paris 1756; Londres 1758; Paris 1758.
Brebeuf . See Lucanus.
Gongora, Luis de. Obras . . . Madrid 1627 (Heredia, Catalogue de la Bihlioihique); Bruselas 1659.
Leonardo de Argensola, Lupercio i Barolome. Rimas . . . Zaragoza 1634. Lesuire, Robert-Martin. Le Nouveau Monde, ... Paris 1781; 1800.
Lucanus, Marcus Annaus. Pharsalia, cum supplemento T. Mail. . [Edited by J. Goulin] Paris 1767; trans, into French by G. de Brebeuf Paris and Rouen 1655-54; trans, into English [with continuation] by Thomas May, London 1627; 1659-57.
Old Poulter's Mare.
A poem quoted by Southey as a ballad of which he prints "only an imperfect copy from memory." The source of the poem has not been found. It is evidently not a genuine ballad.
Roberts, William Hayward. Judah Restored: a poem, London 1774.
Sylvester, Joshua. [Guillaume de Salluste, seigneur] Du Bartas. His devine Weekes and Workes translated London 1605-06.
Uziel, Jacopo. David: poema Heroica. Venetia 1624.
Index | Book
I | Book II | Book III | Book IV |
Book V | Book
VI
Book VII | Book
VIII | Book IX | Book X | Book XI |
Book XII
