The highlight of my day is related to a bishop who lived in France from 1513 to 1593: Messire Iacqves Amyot, Evesqve d'Avxerre. He was not just a bishop, he translated the works of Plutarch from ancient Greek to French (the man must have gotten up very early every day...). The "morals and philosophy" part of the works was published in 1572 and again in 1575.
Not four hundred years later, an original copy of the second edition found its way - almost by accident - into my family on my mother's side. It is a huge, thick, leatherbound book in a fairly good state. It is gorgeous.
And today, during my first class about Shakespeare's Coriolanus, the teacher told us how Jacques Amyot's translations - though not the same part, actually - are the main source of the play, through the English translator North, who used the French version. You have no idea what it felt like, hearing the teacher and thinking "God, one of these books is in my family, it's an heirloom!" Next time I open it, I'll be thinking "Shakespeare was eleven when this was published."
Somehow I didn't expect to feel strongly connected to the sixteenth century today when I got out of bed this morning.
Not four hundred years later, an original copy of the second edition found its way - almost by accident - into my family on my mother's side. It is a huge, thick, leatherbound book in a fairly good state. It is gorgeous.
And today, during my first class about Shakespeare's Coriolanus, the teacher told us how Jacques Amyot's translations - though not the same part, actually - are the main source of the play, through the English translator North, who used the French version. You have no idea what it felt like, hearing the teacher and thinking "God, one of these books is in my family, it's an heirloom!" Next time I open it, I'll be thinking "Shakespeare was eleven when this was published."
Somehow I didn't expect to feel strongly connected to the sixteenth century today when I got out of bed this morning.
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