The Moral Philosophy of Doni popularly known as The Fables of Bidpai

Title

en_US The Moral Philosophy of Doni popularly known as The Fables of Bidpai

en_US Barnabe Riche Society Publications #14

Description

en_US This is a hardbound book (hard cover)

en_US Original language: ita

en_US Sir Thomas North. Edited with Introduction and Notes by Donald Beecher, John Butler, and Carmine Di Biase

Creator

en_US Beecher, Donald See all items with this value

Date

2016-01-25T19:54:28Z

en_US 2006-09

en_US 2003

Date Available

2016-01-25T19:54:28Z

Date Issued

en_US 2003

Abstract

en_US The second subtitle proclaims aptly A Collection of Sanskrit, Persian, and Arabic Fables, 1570. One notices three immediate improvements upon the last edition of North's work, Jacobs' edition of 1888. First, there is a good set of introductory material. Secondly, there is a wealth of visual material. Thirdly, the spelling of North's English is updated, so that it is easier to read these days. I find this book fascinating. From the beginning of the 90-page introduction, the editors help the reader to see this book in its oriental, Italian, and English context, since North was translating Doni's Italian version. There is actually one other cultural shift before that, from Hindu to Muslim. A beginning T of C helps give an overview of that extensive introduction. Appendices to the introduction are helpful in showing collateral versions and a history of Western fable. A fourth appendix offers some seventy-six representative illustrations from Eastern and Western sources. That is the first part of the valuable visual material. The second consists of the forty-nine illustrations inserted into the text itself. In fact, North's work came out in two editions, 1570 and 1601. The last section of the introduction discusses the merits of the two editions. My sense of what we have here is the text of the 1570 edition updated in its spelling and -- rarely -- corrected for obvious errors by the 1601 edition. The illustrations include photocopies of the 1601 edition's illustrations. Since I know Kalila and Dimna best, I start to recognize a familiar storyline here in North's second book (of four), about Chiarino the bull. In this version, mule and ass replace the two jackals who so frequently discuss politics and morality. The third book seems to carry the story through the death of Chiarino and the falling out between mule and ass. The fourth book then has to do with the revelation of the mule's crime and his mortal punishment. What a lovely and unnexpected connection to find this book dedicated to Fr. Peter Milward, S.J., whom I met in Tokyo and who gave me a copy of his fable book. If I get a chance to read early Kalila and Dimna material in Latin and German with Sabine Obermaier, this book would be one of my most important helps. Do not miss the book's very last element, a list of fables with their variant titles (405).

Identifier

en_US 9781895537772 (bound)

en_US 6423 (Access ID)

uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10504/81747

Language

en_US eng

Publisher

en_US Dovehouse Editions

en_US Ottawa

Subject

en_US PN989.I5 B4 2003 See all items with this value

en_US Bidpai See all items with this value

en_US Title Page Scanned See all items with this value

Type

en_US Book, Whole