Main content
Sir Edwin Arnold Letters
Notifications
Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Sir Edwin Arnold was an English poet and journalist. In 1856 he went to India as principal of the Government Sanskrit College at Poona where he gathered material for his future works. Returning to England in 1861, he worked as a journalist and, later, editor of The Daily Telegraph, as well as contributing to other journals including the Press, The LIterary Gazette, The London Review, and The Critic. It was Arnold who, on behalf of the proprietors of the Telegraph, in conjunction with the New York Herald, arranged the journey of Henry Morton Stanley to Africa to discover the source of the Nile River, and Stanley named a mountain after him. To his contemporaries, however, Arnold was best known as a poet. The literary task which he set before him was the interpretation in English verse of the life and philosophy of the East. His chief work with this object was The Light of Asia, which was translated in various languages, including Hindi. It appeared in 1879 and was an immediate success, going through numerous editions in England and in America.
The collection consists of fifteen letters by the English author Sir Edwin Arnold to the London publisher Smith, Elder, and Co. regarding his The Book of Good Counsels. An abridged translation from the Sanskrit of the Hitopadeśa, which was the basis of Bidpai's Fables, Arnold's work of poetical prose was published as a column in the Press newspaper. In his first letter dated Jan. 8, 1861, Arnold asks Smith, Elder, and Co. to publish his book and offers them the copyright. Other letters are about sending him the proofs, making changes, and choosing the right engraver who will be able to portray the Sanskrit "beasts." In other letters he discusses his fees and also asks the publisher to send copies of the book to the newspapers and magazines he worked with to generate publicity.
The Book of Good Counsels: from the Sanskrit of the "Hitopadeśa" by Sir Edwin Arnold ; illustrations by Gordon Browne (Exf) 2367.2909.
The material was purchased on December 7, 1970 (AM20366).
For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.
This collection was processed by Dina Britain in May 8, 2009. Finding aid written by Elizabeth Mulvey in June 12, 2009. Folder Inventory added by Hilde Creager (2015) in 2012.
No appraisal information is available.
People
Organization
Subject
- Publisher
- Manuscripts Division
- Finding Aid Date
- 2009
- Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
-
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. No further photoduplication of copies of material in the collection can be made when Princeton University Library does not own the original. Inquiries regarding publishing material from the collection should be directed to RBSC Public Services staff through the Ask Us! form. The library has no information on the status of literary rights in the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any questions of copyright.
Collection Inventory
4 folders