THE MILITARY HISTORY OF CHARLES XII. KING OF SWEDEN, written by the express order of his Majesty, by M. Gustavus Adlerfeld, chamberlain to the King. To which is added, an exact account of the battle of Pultowa, with a journal of the King's retreat to Bender. Illustrated with plans of the battles and sieges.

[FIELDING, Henry, translator.]

Published by London: printed for J. and P. Knapton in Ludgate-street; J. Hodges upon London-Bridge; A. Millar opposite to St. Clement's Church in the Strand; and J. Nourse without Temple-Bar, 1740

About this Item

Three volumes, 8vo, pp. [iv], xv, [i], 338, [2] advertisements; [iv], 388; [ii], 167, 184-334 (complete despite jump in pagination); with a frontispiece portrait in volume I, and 5 folding maps and plans (at pp. 28, 32, 35, 52 and 78); and one folding plate in volume III (at p. 224); a very clean, fresh copy in contemporary panelled calf, spines rather dry and joints cracked, but holding; a good set. First edition: there was a pirated abridgement in 1742, but this is the sole authorised printing. The original French edition of this work of contemporary history was published at Amsterdam in November 1739, and Fielding seems to have been commissioned immediately to make a translation. This was presumably because of the money involved, rather for a lack of anything else to do, because at the same time he was starting a new periodical, The Champion: in the winter of 1739-40, one of the coldest on record, Fielding was beset by creditors and was desperate to earn money. His involvement in this translation at least as supervisor, if he did not make the whole translation himself is well-attested, as a receipt in his own hand survives, acknowledging payment by Nourse of £45 'in part payment for the Translation of the History of Charles the twelfth by me': that was signed on 10 March 1740, but the finished text was not published for another seven months. Cross III p. 337.

Seller Inventory # 26669

Bibliographic Details

• Title: THE MILITARY HISTORY OF CHARLES XII. KING OF SWEDEN, written by the express order of his Majesty, by M. Gustavus Adlerfeld, chamberlain to the King. To which is added, an exact account of the battle of Pultowa, with a journal of the King's retreat to Bender. Illustrated with plans of the battles and sieges.
• Publisher: London: printed for J. and P. Knapton in Ludgate-street; J. Hodges upon London-Bridge; A. Millar opposite to St. Clement's Church in the Strand; and J. Nourse without Temple-Bar
• Publication Date: 1740
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)
• Seller catalogs:
  • Military