St Cyprian: the wonder working magician E-Book

Pedro Calderón de la Barca

• Herausgeber: Pedro Calderon de la Barca
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

The second drama in this volume, "The Wonderful Magician", is perhaps better known to poetical students in England than even the first, from the spirited fragment Shelley has left us in his "Scenes from Calderon." The preoccupation of a subject by a great master throws immense difficulties in the way of any one who ventures to follow in the same path: but as Shelley allowed himself great licence in his versification, and either from carelessness or an imperfect knowledge of Spanish is occasionally unfaithful to the meaning of his author, it may be hoped in my own version that strict fidelity both as to the form as well as substance of the original may be some compensation for the absence of those higher poetical harmonies to which many of my readers will have been accustomed.

Leseprobe

Pedro Calderón de la Barca

St Cyprian: the wonder working magician

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Table of contents

INTRODUCTION.

THE WONDER-WORKING MAGICIAN.

ACT THE FIRST.

ACT THE SECOND.

ACT THE THIRD.

INTRODUCTION.

The second drama in this volume, "The Wonderful Magician", is perhaps better known to poetical students in England than even the first, from the spirited fragment Shelley has left us in his "Scenes from Calderon." The preoccupation of a subject by a great master throws immense difficulties in the way of any one who ventures to follow in the same path: but as Shelley allowed himself great licence in his versification, and either from carelessness or an imperfect knowledge of Spanish is occasionally unfaithful to the meaning of his author, it may be hoped in my own version that strict fidelity both as to the form as well as substance of the original may be some compensation for the absence of those higher poetical harmonies to which many of my readers will have been accustomed."El Magico Prodigioso" appeared for the first time in the same volume as "La Vida es Sueno", prepared for publication in 1635 by Don Joseph Calderon. The translation is comprised in the same number of lines as the original, and all the preceding remarks on "Life is a Dream", whether in reference to the period of the first publication of the drama in Spain, or the principles I kept in view while attempting this version may be applied to it. As in the Case of "Life is a Dream", "The Wonderful Magician" has previously been translated entire by an English writer, ("Justina", by J.H. 1848); but as Archbishop Trench truly observes, "the writer did not possess that command of the resources of the English language, which none more than Calderon requires."The Legend on which Calderon founded "El Magico Prodigioso" will be found in Surius, "De probatis Sanctorum historiis", t. V. (Col. Agr. 1574), p. 351: "Vita et Martyrium SS. Cypriani et Justinae, autore Simeone Metaphraste", and in Chapter cxlii, of the "Legenda Aurea" of Jacobus de Voragine "De Sancta Justina virgine".The martyrdom of the Saints took place in the year 290, and their festival is celebrated by the Church on the 26th of September.Mr. Ticknor in his History of Spanish Literature, 1863, volume ii. p. 369, says that the Wonder-working Magician is founded on "the same legend on which Milman has founded his 'Martyr of Antioch.'" This is a mistake of the learned writer. "The Martyr of Antioch" is founded not on the history of St. Justina but of Saint Margaret, as Milman himself expressly states. Chapter xciii., "De Sancta Margareta", in the "Legenda Aurea" of Jacobus de Voragine contains her story.

THE WONDER-WORKING MAGICIAN.

TO THE MEMORY OF     SHELLEY,     WHOSE ADMIRATION FOR     "THE LIGHT AND ODOUR OF THE FLOWERY AND STARRY AUTOS"     IS THE HIGHEST TRIBUTE TO THE BEAUTY OF     CALDERON'S POETRY, THIS DRAMA IS INSCRIBED.PERSONS.CYPRIAN.     THE DEMON.     LELIUS, The Governor of Antioch's Son.     FLORUS, friend of Lelius.     MOSCON, Servant of Cyprian.     CLARIN, Servant of Cyprian.     THE GOVERNOR OF ANTIOCH.     FABIUS, his Servant.     LYSANDER, the reputed Father of Justina.     JUSTINA.     LIVIA, her Maid.     A Servant.

ACT THE FIRST.