3V Dante THE VISION 1819 H. F. Cary Divine Comedy

Title: The Vision; or Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, of Dante Alighieri
Translator: Rev. Henry Francis Cary
Publisher: Taylor and Hessey
Printing Year: 1819
Number of Volumes: Complete 3 volume set of the second corrected edition

Notes: Bound in leather with bright gilt embossing, this antique set is a scarce edition of the great epic poem of Italian literature.This is the second complete translation of the Divine Comedy into English,as published translations from Dante's masterpiece were restricted until the early nineteenth century to single episodes. Cary's version was much celebrated upon its publication, being called "a great national work" by Wordsworth. The following characterization ot the translation at the beginning of the twentieth century reflects the continuing impact it has had: "Cary's Dante thus gradually took its place among standard works, passing through four editions in the translator's lifetime. It has the great merits of accuracy, idiomatic vigour and readableness; it preserves the sincerity and vividness of the original; and, although many rivals have since appeared in the field, it still holds an honourable place." (Encyclopedia Britannica 11th edition). The volumes display mild external age/wear, with volume three showing partial loss of spine label. The set is solidly bound with clean, lightly age-toned pages. The books measure approximately 5.5" x 8.5". Shipping cost (within the U.S.) for this lot will be: $4.50