German Romance: specimens of its chief authors; with biographical and critical notices. By the translator of Wilhelm Meister, and author of the life of Schiller. In four volumes.

Edinburgh: William Tait, and Charles Tait,, 1827. Establishing German romantic literature in Britain First edition of Carlyle's translation, "one of the key books in the transmission of the German Romantics to England" (Wolff). Carlyle's collection of previously untranslated German Romantic novellas "was intended to build on the success of Thomas Carlyle's translation of Goethe's Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (1824) and to continue his efforts to promote German culture as a necessary alternative to British empiricism... Carlyle sought to separate the cream of German avant-garde literature from the works of inferior writers that had flooded the literary marketplace in Britain and produced a distorted image of German culture. And he wished to establish German literature as an alternative source of cultural leadership for his age. In addition to garnering high praise for its editor and translator, these translations announced Carlyle's ambition to serve as an agent of cultural interaction... A deeply influential episode in the development of Carlyle's literary style and aesthetic sensibility, Carlyle's engagement with Hoffmann, Tieck, and Jean Paul can be seen in the stylistic innovations of such works as Sartor Resartus, The French Revolution, and Frederick the Great. German Romance also laid the groundwork for Carlyle's extraordinary burst of critical activity during the late 1820s. Carlyle's translations of the German Romantics remained the standard well into the twentieth century and many have never been superseded" (Cumming, p. 189). Four volumes bound in 2, octavo (185 x 114 mm). Later 19th-century half calf, twin green and red morocco labels, purple cloth sides, red speckled edges. Bound without terminal blank in vol. III, else complete with half-titles and 4 engraved frontispieces. Neat early ownership signature to front pastedown. Slight paper residue to half-title of vol. I, pp. 85/6 with closed tear not affecting text, paper repair at head of pp. 261/2 not affecting text, some foxing, soiling to vol. IV pp. 307-13. A very good copy. Tarr A4.1; Wolff 1131. Mark Cumming, The Carlyle Encyclopedia, 2004.