The Cambridge History of English and American Literature in 18 Volumes (1907–21).
Volume VIII. The Age of Dryden.
§ 6. Translations of Corneille
The masterpieces of French drama were, therefore, not unfamiliar in translation, and, shortly after the restoration, Corneille found a worthy translator in the person of Mrs. Katherine Philips—“the Matchless Orinda.” Her version of Pompée, in rimed verse, was produced in Dublin early in 1663 with great éclat, and increased her already high reputation. It was also successfully produced in London, and published there, in the same year. In 1664, another version of Pompée “by certain Persons of Honour”—Waller and lord Buckhurst were the moving spirits—was successfully produced; and, in the same year, Heraclius was reproduced by Lodowick Carlell. This last met with great success, though it does not attain the respectable level of others in the same batch of translations. Mrs. Philips, meanwhile, encouraged by the success of Pompey, began to translate Horace; but she died before completing more than the first four acts. Her version, completed by Sir John Denham, was published in 1669 together with her other works; but, in later issues, a conclusion by Charles Cotton was printed. Charles Cotton had himself printed a translation of the whole play in 1671; his version, however, was never acted. In the same year, 1671, John Dancer’s translation of Nicomède was acted at the Theatre Royal in Dublin.