Bibliography Detail
Between Two Languages: Caxton's Translation of Reynaert de Vos
in Lotte Hellinga, Studies in Seventeenth-Century English Literature, History and Bibliography, Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1984, page 119-131
On William Caxton's Middle English translation of the Dutch Van den Vos Reynaerde (Reynard the Fox).
The most recent editor of the English text, N.F. Blake (1970), is somewhat more cautious but in the end also condemns Caxton: "The accuracy of the translation leaves much to be desired" - and, even more redolent of a school report: " ... he was not concentrating on his translation as he ought to have been";" ... by no means unintelligent". But Blake allows Caxton "a fairly competent working knowledge of the language" in spite of "many examples of an imperfect command of Dutch" (p. liii). Did Caxton deserve this? We propose to examine the question in this paper, written for Tom Birrell who, like William Caxton, like ourselves, knows what it is to live with more than one language. - [Author]
Language: English
Last update March 19, 2025
