Histoire comique des états et empires de la lune. English Read online

  NOTE ON THE TRANSLATION.

  There have been at least three translations into English of the _Voyageto the Moon_: that alluded to on page 1; the present translation; andone made in the eighteenth century by Samuel Derrick. The last isdedicated to the Earl of Orrery, author of "Remarks on the Life andWritings of Jonathan Swift," and attributes its "call from obscurity"to "your Lordship's mentioning it in your _Life of Swift_" as havingserved for inspiration to _Gulliver's Travels_.

  Samuel Derrick's translation, however, is not so good as that ofA. Lovell. The seventeenth century translation is more flowery andfanciful, and by that very fact closer to the original. For though the_Voyage to the Moon_ is the most sober in style of Cyrano's works, yetthere are still many touches of the "high fantastical" in its manneras well as in its substance. The eighteenth century translator hastoned down the style to make it more acceptable to that age of reasonand regularity. It is still another case of the irony of Fate pursuingCyrano; the regularity of seventeenth century literature in France,against whom he struggled so swashbucklerly, had completely triumphedand spread their influence over Europe; so that even in the land whereliberty and individuality are native, his work had to suffer correctionin all its most fanciful passages. There are constant omissions ofphrases or sentences in the eighteenth century translation, andthere are also numerous mistakes, as well as many points missed.The seventeenth century translation, on the other hand, is faithfulthroughout to its original, and accurate as well as vivid.

  The translation has been compared throughout with the French of theedition of 1661, and the two or three slight corrections needed havebeen made in footnotes. Except for the breaking up of some very longparagraphs, and slight changes in punctuation when necessary forclearness, the text has been reprinted as exactly as possible. Allchanges or additions, except the correction of evident misprints, havebeen bracketed.

  C. H. P.