Of the complete eight English volumes (six volumes in the French text), Giovanni Paolo Marana is credited with uncontested authorship and original ownership of volume one. Authorship of the later volumes, however, has remained open for debate, as a result of the convoluted publication and copyright history. Volumes Two and Three were also published by Marana; however, he simultaneously ceded copyright to Claude Barbin, who apparently did not hold onto those rights for very long. The next French edition was not published by Barbin but rather Etienne Ducastin in 1689. Barbin likely sold the rights to Ducastin, but that does not explain the legality or authorization of the Amsterdam single-volume edition that was published in 1688. The Amsterdam edition contained all 102 previously published letters, but divided them into four sections; this division only added to the later confusion regarding the correct number of volumes (918-919). By 1693, ownership appeared to be in the hands of John Leake and Robert Midgley. Scholars argue the possibility that hack writer William Bradshaw authored the later volumes under the direction of Robert Midgley (922). Both men participated in the publishing process of the English editions and, therefore, have raised suspicions of deeper involvement than simply translating and/or editing the manuscripts.
Marymount University's Gomatos Collection includes a full set of eight English volumes. The set, however, appears to be mixed; Volume One contains “The twenty-third edition;” Volumes Two through Six and Volume Eight contain “The eleventh edition;” and Volume Seven reads “The twenty-sixth edition.” The ESTC notes that the twenty-third edition of Volume One is most often found with the eleventh edition of Volumes Two through Eight. All were published in 1741 and printed for G. Strahan, S. Ballard, J. Brotherton, W. Meadows, T. Cox, W. Hinchcliffe, J. Stag, J. Clark, S. Birt, D. Brown, T. Astley, S. Austen, J. Shockburgh, L. Gilliver, J. Hodges, E. Wicksteed, J. Oswald, J. Comyns, C. Bathurst, T. Fisher, J. Carter, and A. Wilde.
Letters Writ by a Turkish Spy maintains a buzz around the authorship debate and history of ownership. It also provides an interesting window into 17th century cultural interaction by illustrating Parisian society and politics through “Arabian” eyes.
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Of the complete eight English volumes (six volumes in the French text), Giovanni Paolo Marana is credited with uncontested authorship and original ownership of volume one. Authorship of the later volumes, however, has remained open for debate, as a result of the convoluted publication and copyright history. Volumes Two and Three were also published by Marana; however, he simultaneously ceded copyright to Claude Barbin, who apparently did not hold onto those rights for very long. The next French edition was not published by Barbin but rather Etienne Ducastin in 1689. Barbin likely sold the rights to Ducastin, but that does not explain the legality or authorization of the Amsterdam single-volume edition that was published in 1688. The Amsterdam edition contained all 102 previously published letters, but divided them into four sections; this division only added to the later confusion regarding the correct number of volumes (918-919). By 1693, ownership appeared to be in the hands of John Leake and Robert Midgley. Scholars argue the possibility that hack writer William Bradshaw authored the later volumes under the direction of Robert Midgley (922). Both men participated in the publishing process of the English editions and, therefore, have raised suspicions of deeper involvement than simply translating and/or editing the manuscripts.
Marymount University's Gomatos Collection includes a full set of eight English volumes. The set, however, appears to be mixed; Volume One contains “The twenty-third edition;” Volumes Two through Six and Volume Eight contain “The eleventh edition;” and Volume Seven reads “The twenty-sixth edition.” The ESTC notes that the twenty-third edition of Volume One is most often found with the eleventh edition of Volumes Two through Eight. All were published in 1741 and printed for G. Strahan, S. Ballard, J. Brotherton, W. Meadows, T. Cox, W. Hinchcliffe, J. Stag, J. Clark, S. Birt, D. Brown, T. Astley, S. Austen, J. Shockburgh, L. Gilliver, J. Hodges, E. Wicksteed, J. Oswald, J. Comyns, C. Bathurst, T. Fisher, J. Carter, and A. Wilde.
Letters Writ by a Turkish Spy maintains a buzz around the authorship debate and history of ownership. It also provides an interesting window into 17th century cultural interaction by illustrating Parisian society and politics through “Arabian” eyes.
McBurney, William H. “The Authorship of the Turkish Spy.” PMLA 72.5 (Dec. 1957): 915-935.
Weitzman, Arthur J. Letters Writ by a Turkish Spy. New York: Columbia UP, 1970.