[1] Koenig von Portugal Berlin
14th August 1841
My Dear Sir
I regret exceedingly being from home when you did me the honour to call here yesterday, as I wished to express to you my sentiments concerning the opinion you entertain of the English language being incapable of representing those deeper or finer tones of feeling and thought which distinguish the German mind, and are well exhaled through their mother tongue. To this defect in our style you ascribe the imperfections to which I [2] referred as existing in the English translation of your admirable work on Dramatic Art & Literature. Now I hold on the contrary that the language of Shakspere, Burke & Byron is as copious as that of any German writer, and as capable of exhibiting every combination and modification of the reasoning & sentient powers of man. It requires no mean Knowledge of the two languages, to enable a person to translate a work of fine genius like yours, & still to preserve his own idiom uncorrupted with Germanisms. I am however convinced that [3] the task is possible for one of kindred taste, and that therefore you might be made yet to appear with much more advantage than hitherto before the British nation. I shall at my earliest leisure after my return to London retranslate some of those passages in which I think Mr Black has egregiously failed, and in which indeed he is nearly unintelligble to an English reader who is unacquainted with German. If you be quite at leisure I shall call upon you at 1/2 past 11 to-day for a few minutes – and Meanwhile [4] I Remain, with the greatest esteem,
My Dear Sir
Yours very faithfully
Andrew Ure
To Professor
August Wilhelm von Schlegel
14th August 1841
My Dear Sir
I regret exceedingly being from home when you did me the honour to call here yesterday, as I wished to express to you my sentiments concerning the opinion you entertain of the English language being incapable of representing those deeper or finer tones of feeling and thought which distinguish the German mind, and are well exhaled through their mother tongue. To this defect in our style you ascribe the imperfections to which I [2] referred as existing in the English translation of your admirable work on Dramatic Art & Literature. Now I hold on the contrary that the language of Shakspere, Burke & Byron is as copious as that of any German writer, and as capable of exhibiting every combination and modification of the reasoning & sentient powers of man. It requires no mean Knowledge of the two languages, to enable a person to translate a work of fine genius like yours, & still to preserve his own idiom uncorrupted with Germanisms. I am however convinced that [3] the task is possible for one of kindred taste, and that therefore you might be made yet to appear with much more advantage than hitherto before the British nation. I shall at my earliest leisure after my return to London retranslate some of those passages in which I think Mr Black has egregiously failed, and in which indeed he is nearly unintelligble to an English reader who is unacquainted with German. If you be quite at leisure I shall call upon you at 1/2 past 11 to-day for a few minutes – and Meanwhile [4] I Remain, with the greatest esteem,
My Dear Sir
Yours very faithfully
Andrew Ure
To Professor
August Wilhelm von Schlegel
