Chapter 2

Chapter 23,590 wordsPublic domain

We may well ask, What are some of the uses that can be made of Congreve's book list? For one thing, it may be studied as a carefully selected private library of the period. What authors, what editions, what subjects are to be found in such a library? Which of Congreve's contemporaries are represented? Which of the current books seemed important enough for a fellow writer to buy or to subscribe for in advance of publication? To what extent did the literature of ancient Greece, of Rome, of modern Italy, of France, of Spain, of Germany find its way into a private library in England's Augustan Age? And to what extent were such books in their original language? One scholar has found in Congreve's book list the information he needed about certain early editions of Horace. Another, inquiring into the Italian influence on England during the eighteenth century, has found a partial answer in the Italian books and in the books about Italy set down in Congreve's list.

Fortunately the list can be made to give information about the one who collected and used the books. We know less, perhaps, about Congreve than about any other equally significant writer of the period; and consequently, additional information about him is especially important. We have long known of course, that he made translations from the French, the Latin, and the Greek and have assumed that he read those languages. We feel more confident about the extent of his reading when we find a full fourth of his library in French, nearly a fifth in Latin, and a goodly number of volumes in Greek. About twenty titles in Italian make us reasonably sure that he read that language also. And since he had in Spanish only a Spanish-English dictionary and two Spanish books (for each of which he had a translation in another language), we may assume that his knowledge of Spanish must have been slight indeed. His deficiency in German is strongly suggested by the fact that German is represented in the list only in translation.

As a translator from the Greek and the Latin Congreve first brought himself to the attention of Dryden, who pronounced the youthful Congreve "more capable than any man I know" to translate the whole of Homer. Congreve never completed that proposed translation, but years later he was singled out by Pope for the dedication of his Homer. That Congreve's genuine interest in the classics continued throughout his life is attested by the constant and carefully chosen additions to his library. His collection is richest in the works of Cicero, Homer, Horace, and Virgil, but he owned the collected works of many other classical authors. The breadth of his interest is shown by the fact that over sixty Greek and Latin writers are either represented in his library or referred to in his own writings. The Italian Louis Riccoboni visited Congreve in 1727 and was surprised to find that a dramatist could be so scholarly. In Congreve, he said, "Taste [was] joined with great Learning."[*]

[Footnote: From Riccoboni's _An Historical and Critical Account of the Theatre in Europe_, p. 175. One of the last books added to Congreve's library was Riccoboni's _Histoire du Théâtre Italien_, Paris, [1727]. See Number 314.]

Certain items in the inventory tend to confirm reports that have hitherto been given little credit. One of these has to do with Congreve's interest in horses and horseback riding, which seems to be supported by item Number 277:

The gentleman's jockey, and approved farrier; instructing in the natures, causes, and cures of all diseases incident to horses. 8vo. London, 1717.

Many people will find it difficult to associate with Congreve a special interest in horses, particularly an interest that extended beyond his youth, as suggested by the late date 1717. Another report that has seemed even less in keeping with Congreve concerns the impact of Quakerism on him. Could he have taken a special interest in one of the Quakers, visited him repeatedly, and could he have seriously considered adopting the beliefs of the Quakers? The report that he did so has not been taken seriously. But we must not overlook the fact that Congreve owned (as item Number 53 in his list) the most important document of Quakerism, the 574-page analysis and defense by Robert Barclay entitled _An Apology for the True Christian Divinity as the same is Held Forth, and Preached, by the People, called in Scorn, Quakers_, London, 1701 (or 1703).

Congreve did not, like his friend Jonathan Swift, lose interest in the purchase of books during the last third of his life. For Swift's library we have an inventory made when Swift was about fifty. Another inventory at his death more than twenty-five years later showed but few additions. In the case of Congreve, the earliest inventory--the 587 items in the first hand made out about 1726--came only three years before his death. But active buying must have continued throughout his life as shown by the dates in the imprints. The thirty-one entries by the second hand seem to indicate approximately the purchases for 1727 and the forty-one entries by the third hand approximately those for 1728. Congreve was evidently an active purchaser of books from his youth and did not stop during his last years.

Congreve's list emphasizes collected editions, especially for plays, and contains very few quartos. When he collected his works in three volumes in 1710, he apparently destroyed (at least he did not list) the earlier editions of his plays in quarto. He loved to write such ballads as the racy "Jack French-Man's Defeat," but he never recognized these by including them in his book list or in his collected works; nor did he list his youthful novel _Incognita_ (1691), if indeed he had a copy of it. Such omissions were later made by men with much greater novels to their credit. In the sales catalogues listing the books of Defoe and Fielding, one looks in vain for _Robinson Crusoe_ or _Tom Jones_.

But perhaps most important is the information given by the list about Congreve's special fields of interest and the fact that the list provides likely sources for his literary work. Mention should be made of his fine collection of drama (Greek, Roman, French, and English); of some one hundred titles of literary criticism; of nearly as many carefully selected works in biography and history; of a choice collection of thirty travel books and somewhat smaller lots in medicine, music, and cookery. Many of the books might be classified under religion and philosophy. The poets, both English and foreign, are well represented. And surprisingly enough, there are more than one hundred items of prose fiction, chiefly French. The influence of this fiction, if any, on Congreve's own _Incognita_, and the influence of the literary criticism on his essay _Concerning Humour in Comedy_, are only two of many studies that might be based on Congreve's book list. Perhaps someone will use the works on astrology to help account for one of his humorous characters, old Foresight of _Love for Love_. Since many of the 659 items consist of collected works, the library is actually more extensive than the number of items might indicate. Jacob Tonson had good reason for wanting his nephew to buy Congreve's "genteel & well chosen" library.

_Acknowledgments_

The editor is deeply grateful to the many librarians on both sides of the Atlantic and to others who have generously assisted in the preparation of this study. A grant from the American Philosophical Society in 1949 made possible the search which incidentally turned up Congreve's manuscript book list, and grants from the Henry E. Huntington Memorial Library (1951) and the Folger Shakespeare Library (1952) provided time and rare faculties for the editing.

The staff of the Union Catalog of the Library of Congress has located in America editions in the book list not already included in the Catalog; S. P. L. Filon, Esq., of the National Central Library in London, has helped with English books neither in the British Museum nor in the libraries at Oxford and Cambridge; and Dr. Stanley Pargellis has very kindly had Congreve's list checked for all items in the Newberry Library. The Reserve Division has noted all titles in The New York Public Library.

To His Grace, the Duke of Leeds, and to the Trustees of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society the editor is indebted for kind permission to photostat and publish the list.

Among the many individuals to whom the editor is indebted, special mention should be made of Miss Isabel Fry and Mr. Lyle Wright, of the Huntington Library; Mrs. Edna C. Davis, of the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library; Miss Eleanor E. Goehring, Professor John L. Lievsay and Professor Alwin Thaler, of the University of Tennessee; and Dr. Giles E. Dawson, Dr. James G. McManaway, and Dr. Edwin E. Willoughby, of the Folger Shakespeare Library. Many items in the book list might not have been identified except for the kindness and the genius of Dr. Willoughby.

ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE BOOK LIST

BM The British Museum, London.

BN Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.

Brooks "A Bibliography of John Oldham," _Proceedings of the Oxford Bibliographical Society_, v, 1936.

Case _A Bibliography of English Poetical Miscellanies, 1521-1750_, Oxford, 1935.

Clark The William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, Los Angeles, California.

Folg The Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C.

Harv The Harvard Library, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Hunt The Henry E. Huntington Memorial Library, San Marino, California.

LC The Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Macdonald _John Dryden, a Bibliography of Early Editions and of Drydeniana_, Oxford, 1939.

NYP The New York Public Library, New York City.

STC _A Short-Title Catalogue of Books Printed in England, Scotland, & Ireland, and of English Books Printed Abroad, 1475-1640_, Oxford, 1926.

Wing _A Short-Title Catalogue of Books Printed in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and British America and of English Books Printed in Other Countries, 1641-1700_, in Three Volumes, New York, 1945-1951.

Names of libraries not given in full may usually be filled out by the addition of "Library" or "University Library."

BIBLIOTHECA GUL:{MI} CONGREVE, ARMIGERI

[_Forma._ _Editio._ _Theca_]

1 Athenæi Deipnosophistarum Libri XV. ex Recensione Casauboni. apd Commelin

[Fol. . . . 1611. 1]

Athenaeus Naucratita (fl. _c._ A.D. 200). Deipnosophistarum libri XV. Isaacus Casaubonus Graecum textum recensuit, & ex antiquis membranis supplevit, auxitque. Addita est Jacobi Dalechampii Latina interpretatio, cum notis. [Heidelberg], in bibliopolio Commeliniano, 1611. fol.

_Edinburgh Univ.; Harv._

The 1611 reprint, now very rare, differs from the first edition of 1597 only in the title page. For Congreve's copy of the Latin translation by Natale Conti, see No. 33 below.

2 L'Adone, Poema del _Marino_

[Fol. Paris 1623. 1]

Giovanni Battista Marino (1569-1625). L'Adone, poema. . . . Con gli argomenti del Conte Fortuniano Sanvitale, et l'allegorie di Don Lorenzo Scoto. In Parigi, presso Oliviero di Virano, 1623. fol.

_BM; Harv._

3 ---- Idem 4 Tom. con Fig.

[24to. Amst.1678. 5]

L'Adone, poema heroico, del c. Marino, con gli argomenti del conte Sanvitale, e l'allegorie di don Lorenzo Scoto. Aggiuntovi la tavola delle cose notabili. Di nuova ricorreto, edi figure ornatto. Amsterdam, stamperia del S. D. Elsevier, et in Parigi si vende appresso Thomaso Jolly, 1678. 4 vol. 32mo.

_BM; Yale, LC._

4 Ambassadors Travels into Muscovy &c.

[Fol. Lond.1669. 1]

Adam Olearius (1600?-1671). The voyages and travells of the ambassadors sent by Frederick Duke of Holstein, to the great Duke of Muscovy, and the King of Persia. . . . Containing a compleat history of Muscovy, Tartary, Persia. And other adjacent countries. . . . Whereto are added the travels of John Albert de Mandelslo . . . from Persia, into the East-Indies. Containing a particular description of Indostan, the Mogul's empire, the oriental ilands, Japan, China, &c. . . . Faithfully rendered into English, by John Davies, of Kidwelly. The second edition corrected. London, for John Starkey, and Thomas Basset, 1669. fol.

Wing O270.

_BM; Harv, NYP, Folg, LC, Newberry._

The first edition of the English translation, 1662, was derived from the original work in German, 1647. For Congreve's copy of the French translation of 1666, see No. 616. A copy of the 1669 edition was a part of item No. 480 in the Leeds Sale, 1930.

5 Aulus Gellius cum Notis _Gronovii_

[4to. Lug.B.1706. 22]

Aulus Gellius (_c._ 123-_c._ 165). Auli Gellii noctium atticarum libri XX prout supersunt . . . perpetuis notis & emendationibus illustraverunt Johannes Fredericus et Jacobus Gronovii. Lugduni Batavorum, apud Cornelium Boutesteyn, & Johannem du Vivié, 1706. 4to.

_BM; Harv, NYP, LC, Chicago._

6 ---- Idem sine Notis

[24to. Amst.1665 5]

Auli Gellii noctes atticæ. Editio nova et prioribus omnibus docti hominis cura multo castigatior. Amstelodami, apud Danielem Elzevirium, 1665. 12mo.

_BM; Harv, LC._

7 Aristotelis Rhetorica Gr. Lat. p Goulston

[4to. Lond.1619. 22]

Aristotle (384-322 B.C.). Aristotelis de rhetorica seu arte dicendi libri tres, græcolat. [Ed. Theodorus Goulston.] Londini, typis Eduardi Griffini, 1619. 4to.

STC 766

_BM; Harv, NYP, Folg, Newberry, Hunt._

8 ---- Poetica p _Alex Paccium_ in Lat. conversa

[24to. Par.1542. 5]

Aristotelis Poetica, per Alexandrum Paccium . . . in latinum conversa. [Parisiis] prostant apud Jacobum Bogardum [1542]. 16mo.

_BM; Harv, LC._

Congreve had also the 1692 French translation by Dacier. See No. 198.

9 Aristote Rhetorique p Mr. Cassandre

[4to. Ib.1668. 22]

La rhétorique d'Aristote en françois. Traduction nouvelle. [Par François Cassandre.] Paris, L. Chamhoudry, 1654. 4to.

Copies of the first quarto (1654) are at BN and Princeton, but no copy of a 1668 quarto has been located.

10 Art of ye Stage Translated from ye French 2 Vols[.]

[4to. Lond.1684. 27]

Francois Hédelin, Abbé d'Aubignac (1604-1676). The whole art of the stage. Containing not only the rules of the dramatick art, but many curious observations about it. Which may be of great use to the authors, actors, and spectators of plays. London, for the author, and sold by William Cadman, Rich. Bentley, Sam. Smith, & T. Fox, 1684. 4to.

Wing A4185.

_BM; Harv, NYP, Folg, LC, Newberry, Hunt._

Congreve's copy, with his signature in each volume, was item No. 298 in the Leeds Sale, 1930. This is a translation of the first French edition, 1657, a copy of which appears as No. 469 below.

11 L'Art de Penser

[12mo. Amst.1697. 24]

Antoine Arnauld (1612-1694) and Pierre Nicole (1625-1695). La logique ou L'art de penser, contenant outre les regles communes, plusieurs observations nouvelles, propres à former le jugement. Septiéme edition, revuë & de nouveau augmentée. A Amsterdam, chez Henri Wetstein, 1697. 12mo.

_Leeds (England), Amsterdam; Cornell._

12 ---- de Faire les Devises

[8vo. Par.1645. 12]

Henry Estienne, Sieur Des Fossez (fl. 1639-1649). L'art de faire des devises, où il est traicté des hieroglyphiques, symboles, emblemes, ænygmes, sentences, paraboles, revers de medailles, armes, blasons, cimiers, chiffres et rebus. Avec un traicté des rencontres ou mots plaisans. A Paris, chez Jean Paslé, 1645. 8vo.

_BM; Harv, LC._

13 Arthur's (King) Life & Death, wth: ye Knights of ye Round Table. wants ye Title. Printed by Wynkyn de Worde

[Fol. Lond 1529. 2]

[La mort darthur. Translated from the French by Sir T. Malory.] Black Letter. London, Wynkyn de Worde, 1529. fol.

STC 803.

_BM; Michigan (film)._

The only copy reported by STC, in the _BM_, is described as "Imperfect; wanting the titlepage and first six leaves of the table."

14 Alcimus & Vannoza, a Trag. Hist. of 2 Illustr Italian Families

[8vo. Ib.1677. 8]

Jean Pierre Camus, Bishop of Belley (1584-1652). A true tragical history of two illustrious Italian families; couched under the names of Alcimus and Vannoza. Written in French. . . . Done into English by a person of quality. London, for William Jacob, 1677. 8vo.

Wing C419.

_BM; Harv, Folg, Newberry, Hunt._

15 Aubrey's Miscellanies

[8vo. Ib.1696. 8]

John Aubrey (1626-1697). Miscellanies. London, for Edward Castle, 1696. 8vo.

Wing A4188.

_BM; Yale, LC, Clark._

16 Atterbury's (Bp) Rights of an Eng. Convocat. Stated. 2d. Edit.

[8vo. Ib.1701. 14]

Francis Atterbury, Bishop of Rochester (1662-1732). The rights, powers, and privileges of an English convocation, stated and vindicated. 2nd ed. London, Tho. Bennet, 1701. 8vo.

_BM; Princeton, Newberry, Hunt._

17 Allexandri ab Alexandro Geniales Dies

[8vo. Hanov.1610. 7]

Alexander ab Alexandro (d. 1523). Genialium dierum libri sex. Hanoviæ, typis Wechelianis, apud Claudium Marnium & heredes Joan. Aubrii, 1610. 8vo.

_Museum of Antiquities (Leyden); Massachusetts Hist. Soc. (Boston), Oregon._

18 L'Abbé de Saint-Real Oeuvres 5 Tom.

[12mo. Haye 1722 30]

César Vichard de Saint-Réal (1639-1692). Oeuvres. [Ed. by P. Marchand.] A La Haye, chez les frères Vaillant & Nicholas Prèvost, 1722. 5 tom. 12mo.