The Spirit of Romance (1910)
A5
Editions
a. First edition
[In black:} THE | [in red:] SPIRIT OF ROMANCE | [in black:] AN ATTEMPT TO DEFINE SOMEWHAT THE | CHARM OF THE PRE-RENAISSANCE | LITERATURE OF LATIN EUROPE | By | EZRA POUND, M. A. | AUTHOR OF “PERSONZ” AND “EXULTATIONS” | [device] | LONDON | [in red:| ]. M. DENT & SONS, Lrp | [in black:] 29 anD 30 BEDFORD STREET, W.C. 1 blank leaf, x, 251, [1] pp. 21-2 X 14.7 cm. Olive brown (or, later, olive green) cloth boards stamped in blind with ruled border and device on front cover and in gold on spine, with at base: J’M-DENT:&-sons-Lb; laid or (later) wove endpapers; top edges gilt or (later) stained blue-green, others untrimmed or (later) trimmed. Grey dust-jacket printed in green. Published 20 June 1910 at 6s.; 1250 sets of sheets printed (of which 300 were used for the American issue). Imprint on page [252]: Printed by Turnbull and Spears, Edinburgh Contents: Praefatio ad lectorem electum—Chapter I. The Phantom Dawn— Chapter Il. Il miglior fabbro [ée. Arnaut Daniel, including verse-and-prose 8 translations of the first four stanzas and the envoi of the canzone “Sols sui qui sai lo sobrafan quem sortz,” pp. 18-20; and the canzon “L’aura amara,? pp. 2123; prose translations of the canzon “Sim fos amors de joi donar tant larga,” Pp. 24-26, and five stanzas of “Doutz brais e critz,” pp. 26~28]—Chapter III. Proenga [including verse-and-prose translations of Bernart of Ventadorn’s “Quant ieu vey la’ lauzeta mover” and of a song by Jaufré Rudel, Prince of Blaia, “Lan quand li iorn son lonc en mai,” pp. 35-38, parts of “A Perigord pres del muralh,” “Quan vey pels vergiers desplegar,” and a song [“A War Song”) of Bertrans de Born, pp. 40-43, and Peire Vidal’s “Song of Breath,” pp. 44-45; verse translations of an Alba [“Compleynt of a Gentleman Who Has Been Waiting outside for Some Time”] attributed to Giraut de Bornelh [Bornello], pp. 47-48; three stanzas in praise of the Countess of Beziers by Arnaut of Marvoil, P533 a sirvente of Sordello, pp. 54-56; Pierre de Corbiac’s “Queen of the Angels,” p. 57, and a Pastorella of Marcabrun, pp. 59-Go]}—Chapter IV. Geste and Romance—Chapter V. La dolce lingua Toscana [with verse translations of “Cantico del sole” of St Francis of Assisi, pp. 88-89, Guido Guinicelli’s sonnet “Vedut ho la lucente stella Diana,” pp. 91-92, Guido Orlando’s sonnet to Guido Cavalcanti, pp. 99-100, and Dante’s “Canzone prima” from “Il Convito,” pp. 102-3]—Chapter VI. Il Maestro [ie. Dante|}—Table of Dates—Chapter VII. Montcorbier, aéas Villon [including parody of Walt Whitman, “Lo, behold, I eat water melons,” p. 179}—Chapter VIII. The Quality of Lope de Vega [with summaries, including verse translations of excerpts, of “Los novios de Hornachuelos,” pp. 198-203, and “El desprecio agradecido,” pp. 209-14; verse translation of Fernando de Herrera’s sonnet to Christobal Mosquera de Figueira, pp. 222-3, and prose translation of an excerpt from Voyage dEspagne ... fait en année 1665 |i.e. 2655), published anonymously but given to Antoine de Brunel, pp224~5]—Chapter IX. Camoens—Chapter X. Poeti Latini [including verse translations of Andrea Navagero’s “Inscriptio fontis,” p. 236, “Prayer for Idmon,” p. 237, “The Image of Pythagoras,” p. 237; Camillo Capilupi’s “Ad noctem,” pp. 242-3; Giovanni Battista Amalteo’s “Corydon,” pp. 243-6; fragments from Castiglione’s “Alcon,” pp. 246-7; Hieronymus Angerianus’ “Ad rosam (from the Erotopegnion),” p. 248, and John Carga’s prayer “To the Virgin Mother, _ Whose Shrine Is at Lauretus,” p. 250]
b. American issue
(Un black:| THE | [im red:-| sp1RIT OF ROMANCE | [in black-] an ATTEMPT TO DEFINE SOMEWHAT THE | CHARM OF THE PRERENAISSANCE | LITERATURE OF LATIN EUROPE | By | EZRA POUND, M. A | AUTHOR OF “PERSONA” AND “EXULTATIONS” | [device] | LONDON | [i red:] J. M. DENT & SONS, Lrp. | [im dlack:] NEW yorK | [mred:] E. P. DUTTON & Co. 21.2 X 14.7 cm. Olive cloth boards stamped in blind (with ruled border but without device) on front cover and in gold on spine, with at base: E. Pp. DUTTON & co; laid end-papers; top edges gilt, others untrimmed. 9 Published July 1910 at $2.50; 300 sets of the first edition sheets issued with cancel title-leaf (with title-page as above).
c. New edition (Part I only), with How to Read (1932)
For description see below under How to Read (1931)-—A33b.
d. New edition ([1952, 4e. 1953])
EZRA POUND | [chick-chin rule|| THE sprRit | oF | ROMANCE | [thin-thick rule] | PETER OWEN LIMITED | London 248 pp. 21.6 X 14.5 cm. Olive cloth boards stamped in blue and gold on spine; end-papers. Tan dust-jacket printed in blue. Published January 1953 at 16s.; number of copies unknown. On verso of title-leaf: ... First published 1910 Completely revised edition 1952 [sic] Made and printed in the Republic of Ireland by Cahill & Co., Ltd., Parkgate Printing Works, Dublin MCMLII Contents: Praefatio ad lectorem electum (1910)—Postscript (1929)—l. The Phantom Dawn—II. Il miglior fabbro—III. Proenca—IV. Geste and Romance—V. Psychology and Troubadours—VI. Lingua Toscana—VII. Dante— Table of Dates—VIII. Montcorbier, a/as Villon—IX. The Quality of Lope de Vega—X. Camoens—XI. Poeti Latini—Index Notes: Revisions, made in 1929 and 1932, first for the series of Prolegomena, of which only the first two volumes were published—A33b—and then in preparation for the abortive edition of Ezra Pound’s collected prose, are for the most part confined to minor changes in phrasing and the addition of “parentheses” and footnotes, dated 1929 and 1932. The prefatory matter and the first five chapters are reprinted with a few deliberate changes from the edition of 1932.
e. New edition, American issue, hardbound ([1953])
EZRA POUND | [thick-zhin rule] | THE spirit | OF | ROMANCE | [thin-thick rule] | 4 NEW DIRECTIONS BOOK [Norfolk, Conn., James Laughlin] 248 pp. 21.6 X 1475 cm. Dark blue cloth boards stamped in silver down the spine; end-papers. Tan dust-jacket printed in blue. Published January 1953 at-$4.00; 2391 sets of sheets printed by Peter Owen for New Directions, of which 500 were bound and jacketed in the United States in ¥952, and 1890 were cut down and issued in paper wrappers in 1968—As5 f. On verso of title-leaf: ... New Directions Books are published by James Laughlin at Norfolk, Connecticut New York Office—333 Sixth Avenue, New York 14 Printed in the Republic of Ireland
f. New edition, American issue, paperbound ([1968])
Title-page and pagination as in Age. 10 20.3 X 13.8 cm. Heavy white paper wrappers printed in cream and black on pages [i] and [iv], and in black down the spine. Published 31 October 1968 at $2.45 as New Directions Paperbook 266; 1890 sets of sheets originally supplied by Peter Owen in 1952 cut down and issued in wrappers. Verso of title-leaf as in Ase.
g. New American edition ([1968])
EZRA POUND | THE SPIRIT | OF | ROMANCE | A NEW DIRECTIONS BOOK [Norfolk, Conn., James Laughlin] 6 leaves, 11-248, [2] pp., 2 blank leaves. 20.4 X 13-7 cm. Heavy white paper wrappers printed in cream and black on pages [i] and [iv], and in black down the spine. Published December 1968 at $2.45 as New Directions Paperbook 266; 4000 copies printed. On verso of title-leaf: ... First published by New Directions in 1952 [sic]. First published as New Directions Paperbook 266 in 1968. Manufactured in the United States of America. New Directions Books are published for James Laughlin by New Directions Publishing Corporation, 333 Sixth Avenue, New York roor4. Dedication on recto of sixth leaf: to “Smith” with thanks. Contents as in Asd, e, and f, except for addition, on recto of sixth leaf, of “POSTPOSTSCRIPT,” by Ezra Pound, dated: Venice, May, 1968.
Content is now editable.