The magic ring, Vol. 1 (of 3)

Opening of the book

THE MAGIC RING.
OLIVER & BOYD, PRINTERS.
THE
MAGIC RING;
A ROMANCE,
FROM THE GERMAN OF
FREDERICK, BARON DE LA MOTTE FOUQUÉ
IN THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
EDINBURGH;

PUBLISHED BY

OLIVER & BOYD, TWEEDDALE-COURT;

AND GEO. B. WHITTAKER, LONDON.

1825.

TO

CONRAD CHARLES,

FREYHERR VON ÄMSELNBURG, IN BERLIN,

TRANSLATOR OF

“The Lady of the Lake,” “The Bridal of Triermain,” and “The Antiquary.”

I know not, my dear friend, whether you recollect a conversation that we had some time since respecting the Baron de la Motte Fouqué and his writings. If you do not, I take the liberty of calling it to your remembrance,—as what you then said has not only induced me to execute the following translation, but may likewise serve as an introductory notice to the readers of the work.

I remember well that, when speaking of the Baron, (in whose company we had dined that day at Charlottenburg,) you bestowed great praise on his various publications;—but, being then an incompetent judge of their merits, I could only reply, that I doubted not they deserved the eulogiums you passed upon them, since the

Baron was certainly a jovial and pleasant companion,—a “chevalier, sans peur et sans reproche,” if one might judge from the serenity of his aspect, and the complacency with which he quaffed his old

Hochheimer and Johannisberg.

I had indeed, as a tyro in the German language, tried to read over his

“Magic Ring,” the only work of his which had fallen in my way; but I had not been long at Berlin ere I was informed of the high reputation he had acquired by his writings on various subjects. I heard of his early devotion to literature; of his friendship with the Schlegels; of his

Keep listening free