Author: RACINE, Louis.
Title: Religion, a poem: from the French of the younger Racine.
Description: London: printed by W. Strahan; and sold by J. Hodges; J. Newbery; W. Owen; A. Strahan; and Wilson and Durham, 1754. 8vo. xii, 216p. Title-page slightly discoloured. Contemporary calf, covers decorated with a double gold-fillet border; gold-tooled spine; red title label (slightly worn); sprinkled red-edged leaves; slight wear at corners. Armorial bookplate of the House of Abercairny. ***** Seventh and last child of Jean Racine, Louis Racine is best known for his prose translation of Milton's Paradise lost and for two didactic poems of Jansenist inspiration: La grâce (1720) and La religion (1742). Louis Racine explained the conception of the latter poem as follows: 'J'en ai conduit le plan sur cette courte pensée de M. Pascal: A ceux qui ont de la répugnance pour la religion, il faut commencer par leur montrer qu'elle n'est pas contraire à la raison; ensuite, qu'elle est vénérable; après, la rendre aimable, faire souhaiter qu'elle soit vraie; montrer qu'elle est vraie, et enfin qu'elle est aimable.' This English translation is the work of the educationalist James Elphinston (see Dictionary of national biography, vol.17, p.311).

Keywords: religion, poetry, French, James Elphinston, antiquarian


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