The culture of translation in Early Modern England and France, 1500 - 1660

This book explores modalities and cultural interventions of translation in the early modern period, focusing on the shared parameters of these two translation cultures. Translation emerges as a powerful tool for thinking about community and citizenship, literary tradition and the classical past, certitude and doubt, language and the imagination. This collection explores the varied modalities and cultural interventions of translation in early modern England and France. Paying attention to the shared parameters of these two translation cultures, it argues for their interaction as an important and untold story. The essays touch on key figures in this story - Mary Sidney, Montaigne and Florio, Urquhart and Rabelais - but also probe the role of translation in the large cultural shifts experienced in parallel by the two countries. Topics explored include: the galvanizing impact of Greek and Hebrew on the two translation cultures; translation's guises in the humanist practice of France and England; translation as definition of national difference; as a broker of state diplomacy; as a tool for sceptical philosophy; and as a means of imagining a linguistic utopia. The essays' scope ranges from methodological reflections toward a cultural history of early modern translation, to the adventures of a sceptical adverb between France and England "This collection explores the varied modalities and cultural interventions of translation in early modern England and France. Paying attention to the shared parameters of these two translation cultures, it argues for their interaction as an important and untold story. The essays touch on key figures in this story - Mary Sidney, Montaigne and Florio, Urquhart and Rabelais - but also probe the role of translation in the large cultural shifts experienced in parallel by the two countries. Topics explored include: the galvanizing impact of Greek and Hebrew on the two translation cultures; translation's guises in the humanist practice of France and England; as definition of national difference; as a broker of state diplomacy; as a tool for sceptical philosophy; and as a means of imagining a linguistic utopia. The essays' scope ranges from methodological reflections toward a cultural history of early modern translation, to the adventures of a sceptical adverb between France and England"-- Provided by publisher Cover 1 Contents 6 List of Illustrations 8 Acknowledgements 9 Notes on the Contributors 10 Introduction: ‘Abroad in Mens Hands’: The Culture of Translation in Early Modern England and France 14 1 From Cultural Translation to Cultures of Translation? Early Modern Readers, Sellers and Patrons 35 2 Francis I’s Royal Readers: Translation and the Triangulation of Power in Early Renaissance France (1533–4) 54 3 Pure and Common Greek in Early Tudor England 67 4 From Commentary to Translation: Figurative Representations of the Text in the French Renaissance 84 5 Periphron Penelope and her Early Modern Translations 99 6 Richard Stanihurst’s Aeneis and the English of Ireland 125 7 Women’s Weapons: Country House Diplomacy in the Countess of Pembroke’s French Translations 141 8 ‘Peradventure’ in Florio’s Montaigne 158 9 Translating Scepticism and Transferring Knowledge in Montaigne’s House 175 10 Urquhart’s Inflationary Universe 188 Epilogue 204 Bibliography 214 Index 232 From cultural translation to cultures of tradition? Early modern readers , sellers and patrons / Warren Boutcher -- Francis I's royal readers: translation and the triangulation of power in early renaissance France (1533-4) / Glyn P. Norton -- Pure and common Greek in early Tudor England / Neil Rhodes -- From commentary to translation: figurative representations of the text in the French renaissance / Paul White -- Periphrōn Penelope and her early modern transations / Tania Demetriou -- Richard Stanihurst's Aneis and the English of Ireland / Patricia Palmer -- Women's weapons: country house diplomacy in the Countess of Pembroke's French translations / Edward Wilson-Lee -- 'Peradventure' in Florio's Montaigne / Kirsti Sellevold -- Translating scepticism and transferring knowledge in Montaigne's House / John O'Brien -- Urquhart's inflationary universe / Anne Lake Prescott Front Matter....Pages i-xii Introduction....Pages 1-21 From Cultural Translation to Cultures of Translation?....Pages 22-40 Francis I’s Royal Readers....Pages 41-53 Pure and Common Greek in Early Tudor England....Pages 54-70 From Commentary to Translation....Pages 71-85 Periphrōn Penelope and her Early Modern Translations....Pages 86-111 Richard Stanihurst’s Aeneis and the English of Ireland....Pages 112-127 Women’s Weapons....Pages 128-144 ‘Peradventure’ in Florio’s Montaigne....Pages 145-161 Translating Scepticism and Transferring Knowledge in Montaigne’s House....Pages 162-174 Urquhart’s Inflationary Universe....Pages 175-190 Epilogue....Pages 191-200 Back Matter....Pages 201-231