_HISTORIE DES SÉVARAMBES._
The authorship of _Gaudentio di Lucca_ has recently been discussed by some
of your correspondents, and it has been shown that this _Voyage Imaginaire_
{5} was written by Simon Berington, a Catholic priest, and the member of a
family resident for many years in Herefordshire. The following Query will
relate to another work of the same class, but of an earlier date.
The _Histoire des Sévarambes_ is a fictitious account of a nation in the
Southern Ocean, visited by a supposed navigator named Siden. It's first
appearance was as an English work, with this title:
"The History of the Sevarites or Sevarambi, a nation inhabiting part of
the third continent, commonly called Terræ Australes Incognitæ; with an
account of their admirable government, religion, customs, and language.
Written by one Captain Siden, a worthy person, who, together with many
others, was cast upon those coasts, and lived many years in that
country. London: printed for Henry Brome, at the Gun, at the west end
of St. Paul's Churchyard, 1675. 12mo. pp. 114." No preface.
There is a second part, "more wonderful and delightful than the first,"
published in 1679 (pp. 140.). The licence by Roger Lestrange bears date
Feb. 25. 1678/9. There is a short preface, without signature, arguing that
the country of the Sevarites is not fabulous.
A copy of the original edition of these two parts is in the British Museum.
Shortly after its publication in England, this work appeared in France with
the following title:--
"Histoire des Sévarambes, peuples qui habitent une partie du troisième
continent ordinairement appellé Terre Australe, contenant un compte
exact du gouvernement, des moeurs, de la réligion et du langage de
cette nation, jusques aujourd'hui inconnue aux peuples de l'Europe.
Traduite de l'Anglois." First Part, Paris, 1677. 2 vols. 12mo. Second
Part, 1678-9. 3 vols. 12mo.
Both parts are dedicated to Monsieur Riquet, Baron de Bonrepos; and the
dedications are both signed with the initials D.V.D.E.L.
The British Museum contains no French edition of this work earlier than an
Amsterdam reprint of 1716. The above account of the early French edition is
taken from the _Dictionnaire Historique_ of Prosper Marchand (La Haye,
1758), tom. i. p. 11., art. ALLAIS. This article (which may be cited as a
model of bibliographical research) attributes the authorship of the
_Histoire des Sévarambes_, upon evidence, which, if not conclusive, is very
strong, to Denis Vairasse, or Vayrasse. Marchand explains the initials
appended to the dedications of the French edition to mean, _Denis Vairasse
d'Allais en Languedoc_. He likewise considers _Siden_ as the anagram of
_Denis_; and _Sevarias_, the legislator of the Sevarambians, as the anagram
of _Vairasse_. Some of the religious opinions expressed in this fiction
were thought bold, and the authorship of the work was at one time much
discussed: it was attributed both to Isaac Vossius and Leibnitz. It was
translated into Dutch, German, and Italian; and there is an English
edition, London, 1738, in 1 vol. 8vo., in which the preface from the French
edition, alluding to Plato's _Republic_, More's _Utopia_, and Bacon's _New
Atlantis_, not to be found in the original English edition, is introduced.
This volume is entitled--
"The History of the Sevarambians, a people of the south continent, in
five parts, containing, &c. Translated from the Memoirs of Capt. Siden,
who lived fifteen years amongst them."
The work is included in the collection of _Voyages Imaginaires_, tom. v.,
where the editor speaks of the distinguished place which it holds among the
fictions of that class; but he says that its authorship was unknown or
uncertain. An account of another fictitious voyage to the Terra Australis,
with a description of an imaginary people, published in 1692, may be seen
in Bayle's _Dict._, art. SADEUR, _Voyages Imaginaires_, tom. xxiv.
According to the account given by Marchand, Vairasse began life by serving
in the army in Piedmont, and he afterwards studied the law. Subsequently he
went to England, where he is stated to have attempted to penetrate the
intrigues of the court, and to discover the maxims of the English
Government. In 1665, he was in the ship commanded by the Duke of York
against the Dutch; and some years afterwards, having been regarded as an
accomplice in the designs of a public minister (apparently Lord Clarendon),
he was forced to retire with him, and follow him to Paris. He re-entered
the military service, and was with the French army which invaded Holland in
1672. Afterwards he taught English and French at Paris; he likewise
published a French Grammar, and an abridgment of it in the English language
(1683). He was of the reformed religion.
It is possible that Vairasse's visit to England may have been connected
with his religion. He appears, during his residence here, to have acquired
the English language; but it is difficult to understand what are the
designs of Lord Clarendon in which he was an "accomplice." Lord Clarendon's
exile took place in 1667; which hardly accords with the expression "some
years" after 1665. No person of the name of Vairasse is mentioned as having
accompanied Lord Clarendon in his banishment.
The first part of the _History of the Sevarambians_ was published in
English in 1675, two years before the French edition of the first part. The
second parts were published at London and Paris in the same year. Even if
Vairasse did not leave England with Lord Clarendon, he had left it before
the year in which the first part of this {6} work appeared in English: for
he is stated to have been with the French army in Holland in 1672. It is
therefore difficult to account for the publication of the English version
of the _History of the Sevarambians_ before its publication in France, upon
the assumption that Vairasse was the author. The writer of the life of
Vairasse (art. ALLAIS) in the _Biographical Dictionary of the Society of
Useful Knowledge_ thinks that he may have been only the translator: but the
facts collected by Marchand show that he claimed the authorship; and there
is no trace of its composition by any Englishman. Besides, its prior
publication in England is just as inexplicable upon the assumption of his
being the translator, as upon that of his being the author.
Query, Is Vairasse's residence in England mentioned by any English writer?
And can any light be thrown upon the authorship of the _History of the
Sevarambians_ from any English source?