There still remains to note one further influence of Taylor's Bürger translation at this time. It has been noted that M. G. Lewis had earlier become acquainted with German, and that he had already written his ballad imitation Alonzo the Brave and the Fair Imogene, after the manner of Lenore. This he printed in his extravagant romance The Monk in 1795, a novel that was an extravagant success in its time. The next work which he undertook was the Tales of Wonder which, though not issued until 1801, was begun some time earlier.[1] The last example of a "wonder" tale in this book is Taylor's translation of Lenore from the Monthly Magazine.[2] Now we know from the meeting of William Erskine, Scott's friend, with Lewis in the spring of 1798 that the latter was already at work upon his new volume.[3] It seems in the highest degree probable, therefore, that a contributing influence toward Lewis's new venture was the success of the Lenore translations, especially Taylor's, in the year 1796. If so we have in this a further inspiration of the German poet in his English dress.
It is not to be assumed that the influence on Coleridge and perhaps Lewis was all the effect of the Lenore translations of 1796. The main purpose of the foregoing paragraphs is to suggest that the influence of Bürger has probably been underestimated in the past. If the effect on Coleridge was even nearly so considerable as that here noted, it may have also been more important on other writers than has been pointed out. Should this study prove the basis of some further investigation of Bürger influence, it will have served one important purpose.
- ↑ See Dict. of Nat. Biog. on Lewis for discussion of date.
- ↑ See p. 33.
- ↑ Lockhart's Life, chap. IX.
