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Up for auction is a copy of I believe the first English translation of Shakspeare and His Times, written by “M. Guizot,” as it reads on the book’s spine and title page (note that the spelling of the playwright’s surname as used in this book was commonplace in the 1700s through the early 1800s), but in fact the author’s full name is François Pierre Guillaume Guizot (1787-1874), a French historian, orator, writer, and statesman who was dominant in French politics before the 1848 Revolution.

The cloth-bound antiquarian title, which is not in great shape, its binding damaged and pages heavily foxed, is nonetheless complete, and quite fascinating in that this prolific French polymathic politician produced this English title, which is a revision of something he wrote in the early 1820s (see below). Note that I’m selling what I believe is the first American edition thus, but there were also French and English editions the same year, the former published by Didier, (presumably) Paris, and the latter by Richard Bentley, London.

The dark brown blind-embossed cloth-bound book measures 5 inches wide by 8 inches high and comprises 360 pages. There are no illustrations within the title, which does not come with a dust jacket (I doubt it originally did).

The title page reads:

SHAKSPEARE AND HIS TIMES.

BY M. GUIZOT.

NEW YORK:

HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS.

329 & 331 PEARL STREET,

FRANKLIN SQUARE.

1852.

I’ll include here the full text of the author’s 3-page Preface:

THE Essay on the Life and Works of Shakspeare, which I reprint in the present volume, appeared for the first time as an Introduction to the French edition of Shakspeare’s complete works, which was published at Paris in 1821. This edition was based upon the translation of Shakspeare’s plays which was commenced in 1776 by Le Tourneur, and which at that period, gave rise to such animated disputes in the literary world, and especially in the Correspondence of Voltaire and La Harpe. In 1821 I undertook to edit this translation of Shakspeare’s principal works, and I revised six tragedies, ten historical dramas, and three comedies. M. Do Barante kindly assisted me by translating “Hamlet;” and M. Amédée Pichot, who is so thoroughly acquainted with England and English literature, undertook to revise all the remaining plays.

Since that period other translations of Shakspeare, both partial and complete, in prose and in verse, have been published. Whatever their merit may be, they have not been successful; and no one will ever succeed, except imperfectly, in transfusing into our language, with their true character and full effect, the works of this prodigious genius. This arises not only from the fact that every translation must necessarily be imperfect and insufficient, but also on account of the particular turn of Shakspeare’s mind and style, as well as that of his national tongue. Shakspeare is excellent in substance, but deficient in form; he discerns, and brings admirably into view, the instincts, passions, ideas – indeed, all the inner life of man; he is the most profound and most dramatic of moralists; but he makes his personages speak a language which is often fastidious, strange, excessive, and destitute of moderation and naturalness. And the English language is singularly propitious to the defects, as well as to the beauties, of Shakspeare; it is rich, energetic, passionate, abundant, striking; it readily admits the lofty flights, and even the wild excesses, of the poetic imagination; but it does not possess that elegant sobriety, that severe and delicate precision, that moderation in expression and harmony in imagery, which constitute the peculiar merit of the French language; so that, when Shakspeare passes from England into France, if he is translated with scrupulous fidelity, his defects become more apparent, and more offensive, beneath his new dress, than they were in his native form; and if, on the other hand, it is attempted to adapt his language, even in the slightest degree, to the genius of our tongue, he is inevitably robbed of a great part of his wealth, force, and originality. A literal translation and a free rendering do wrong to Shakspeare in a different manner, but in an equal degree. When he is translated, or when he is read in a translation, it must never be forgotten that he labors under one or other of these disadvantages.

In continuation of the Essay on the Life and Works of Shakspeare, I have published, in this volume, a series of Notices of his principal dramas, and an Essay on Othello and Dramatic Art in France in 1830, which the Duke De Broglie inserted, at that period, in the “Revue Francaise,” and which he has kindly allowed me to include in this volume. These Essays constitute, in some sort, proofs in support of the ideas which, in 1821, I endeavored to develop regarding the nature of dramatic art in general, and the particular and diversified forms which it has assumed among those nations and in those ages in which it has shone with greatest brilliancy; an art so powerful and attractive, that, in all times and at all places, in the period of its infancy as well as in that of its maturity – of its glory as well as of its decline – it has ever remained invincibly popular, and has never ceased to charm all men either by its master-pieces or by its sparkling bluettes.

GUIZOT.

PARIS, June 10, 1852.

The book’s Contents, as printed on two pages after the author’s Preface, are (leaving out the page numbers):

SHAKSPEARE AND HIS TIMES

SHAKSPEARE’S TRAGEDIES:

ROMEO AND JULIET

HAMLET

KING LEAR

MACBETH

JULIUS CAESAR

OTHELLO

SHAKSPEARE IN FRANCE

SHAKSPEARE’S HISTORICAL DRAMAS:

KING JOHN

KING RICHARD II

KING HENRY IV

KING HENRY V

KING HENRY VI

KING RICHARD III

KING HENRY VIII

SHAKSPEARE’S COMEDIES:

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR

THE TEMPEST

I’ll include here just the start of Guizot’s extremely lengthy, and very impressive, English-language Wikipedia entry:

François Pierre Guillaume Guizot (4 October 1787 – 12 September 1874) was a French historian, orator, and statesman. Guizot was a dominant figure in French politics prior to the Revolution of 1848.

A conservative liberal who opposed the attempt by King Charles X to usurp legislative power, he worked to sustain a constitutional monarchy following the July Revolution of 1830. He then served the "citizen king" Louis Philippe, as Minister of Education, 1832–37; ambassador to London, Foreign Minister 1840–1847; and finally Prime Minister of France, from 19 September 1847 to 23 February 1848.

Guizot's influence was critical in expanding public education, which under his ministry saw the creation of primary schools in every French commune. As a leader of the "Doctrinaires,” committed to supporting the policies of Louis Phillipe and limitations on further expansion of the political franchise, he earned the hatred of more left-leaning liberals and republicans through his unswerving support for restricting suffrage to propertied men and supposedly advised those who wanted the vote to “enrichissez-vous" (“enrich yourselves") through hard work and thrift.

As Prime Minister, it was Guizot's ban on the political meetings (called the campagne des banquets, or the Paris Banquets, which were held by moderate liberals who wanted a larger extension of the franchise) of an increasingly vigorous opposition in January 1848 that catalyzed the revolution that toppled Louis Philippe in February and saw the establishment of the French Second Republic. He is mentioned in the famous opening paragraph of the Communist Manifesto ("a spectre is haunting Europe...") as a representative of the more liberal faction of the counter-revolutionary forces of Old Europe, contrasted with that of the more reactionary forces, Klemens von Metternich. Marx and Engels published that book just days before Guizot's overthrow in the 1848 Revolution.

The overall condition of this fascinating antiquarian title, which does not come with a dust jacket (I doubt it originally had one), is just fair. The blind-embossed brown cloth binding (decorated on both the front and rear boards), with git titling on the spine only, is corner-bumped and -curled, edgeworn, and worn and torn, notably on the spine, but it is not cracked and seemingly in no danger of falling apart. The pale yellow glossy end pages are good, though it appears that something (a former owner’s name, I’m sure) has been rubbed off on the front free end page, and with spotting, smudging, light pencil marks (easily erasable) on the top left of the rear free end page, etc. The bond / matte pages within the book are age-toned and heavily foxed throughout (see many of the photos I’ve uploaded), and there are light pencil marks on a couple front-matter pages (in the Preface and on the Contents page). Otherwise, there appear to be no other annotations, marginalia, underlining, scribbles, etc., within, though there may be pencil marks here and there throughout (all easily erasable, I would think). The book appears to have no major damage or flaws in the way of clipped or missing pages, tape repairs, water or other liquid damage, large tears, etc. (though I did not look at each and every page and may have missed something else). The page edges are smooth-cut, uncolored, age-toned, foxed, spotted, etc. The book has neither a musty nor smoky odor.

Shakspeare and His Times, written by François Guizot and published in 1852 by Harper & Brothers, New York, is being sold AS IS, AS DESCRIBED ABOVE AND PICTURED WITHIN. I am setting what I think is a reasonable starting price for the antiquarian title, and there is NO RESERVE. I am also including a Buy It Now price.

Shipping and handling for the title: $5 to U.S. addresses (via Media Mail).

Note that eBay has now instituted a shipping program whereby bidders from outside the U.S. can bid on or buy all sellers' items, and the seller sends everything to an eBay facility in the US for shipping. So far, this seems to be working out well (though one item bought by someone in China never made it to its destination, though eBay very quickly refunded the buyer).

If you want this book sent more quickly to you (e.g., via Priority Mail in the U.S.), you must request this asap after winning or purchasing it (or beforehand, if possible), and I will adjust the amount accordingly.

I will do my best to send the book out to you no more than 2-3 business days following receipt of payment (that is, when eBay informs me that your payment has been posted to or otherwise cleared in my account).

If you are the winner or buyer of this book, PAYMENT IS EXPECTED WITHIN ONE WEEK (7 DAYS) FROM THE PURCHASE DATE. If you cannot pay within this time frame, PLEASE contact me asap so we can work something out. I'm very flexible and understanding, but I would appreciate communication from you one way or another.

PLEASE NOTE THAT RETURNS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED NOR REFUNDS MADE FOR THIS BOOK, SO PLEASE READ MY DESCRIPTION CAREFULLY, LOOK CLOSELY AT THE PHOTOGRAPHS I’VE UPLOADED, AND ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THE CONTENTS OR CONDITION OF THE ITEM. THANKS FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING!

Thanks for looking, and please don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions about Shakspeare and His Times, by M. Guizot, aka François Guizot, published in 1852 by Harper & Brothers of New York.

PLEASE NOTE THAT, IF POSSIBLE, I WILL HAPPILY ADJUST SHIPPING CHARGES FOR MULTIPLE PURCHASES!!! (THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO SALES FROM OUTSIDE THE U.S. AT THIS TIME.)

ALSO, NOTE THAT, IF APPLICABLE, eBAY WILL ADD ANY APPROPRIATE STATE SALES TAX TO THE INVOICE.