AMERICA AND RABELAIS.
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—In his letter regarding the prosecution of an American bookseller for selling the unexpurgated works of Rabelais, published with your issue of September the 16th, Mr. de Bekker remarks that " the English, who dislike being laughed at, have lacked courage to make the old Frenchman an issue in criminal law." The satirical imputation is, I am afraid too flattering to our aesthetic-legal acumen. I remember that, some time before the War, an English bookseller was prosecuted for selling the translation of Urquhart and Motteux—,because a friend of mine derived the personal satisfaction that his own copy of the edition had gone up in value thereby ! Perhaps this will have already been pointed out by the time this letter reaches you ; but if not, some reader may be able to give a clue as to where the proceedings are to be found. They deserve to be rescued from oblivion.— I am, Sir, &c.,.
Previous page
