The tasks of the translators: social networks and the publication of continental European writings during the English Revolution, 1641–1660

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Hessayon, Ariel. 2024. The tasks of the translators: social networks and the publication of continental European writings during the English Revolution, 1641–1660. In: Gaby Mahlberg and Thomas Munck, eds. Ideas Across Borders. Translating Visions of Authority and Civil Society in Europe c.1600–1840. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 65-82. ISBN 9781032343679 [Book Section]

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Abstract or Description

In the vastly increased output of print in England between 1641 and 1660, we find a significant number of translations of continental European texts. This heterogeneous corpus of material consisted of writings by more than 315 non-native authors, including texts by or attributed to Greeks, Romans and Church Fathers, as well as alchemists, anti-Trinitarians, astrologers, astronomers, cardinals, geographers, grammarians, heralds, herbalists, heresiographers, historians, lawyers, librarians, linguists, magicians, millenarians, monarchs, mystics, novelists, occultists, philosophers, physicians, physiognomists, poets, politicians, popes, prophets, satirists, soldiers, theologians and travellers. Added to this were untranslated works that appeared predominantly in the original Latin, but also in other languages. This chapter focuses on the importance of social networks in facilitating the publication of these works – notably the writings of the Lutheran mystic Jacob Boehme. In the case of these texts, there was no haphazard scramble to profit from the collapse of pre-publication censorship. Rather there was an orchestrated campaign to usher in a universal reformation using all the available media of the day. Among the key players in this enterprise were members of Samuel Hartlib’s circle, their international correspondents and people connected to them. But there were also lesser-known figures deserving attention.

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Book Section

Identification Number (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003321781

Additional Information:

"This is an Accepted Manuscript of a book chapter published by Routledge in ‘Ideas Across Borders. Translating Visions of Authority and Civil Society in Europe c.1600–1840’ on 20 February 2024, available online: https://www.routledge.com/Ideas-Across-Borders-Translating-Visions-of-Authority-and-Civil-Society/Mahlberg-Munck/p/book/9781032343686. It is deposited under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way.”

Keywords:

Social Networks; English Revolution; early modern Europe; Samuel Hartlib; Jacob Boehme

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