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Notes
William Beckford, Vathek, translated by Herbert B. Grimsditch, with ten illustrations by Marion V. Dorn (Bloomsbury, London: The Nonesuch Press, 1929). Grimsditch's translation underwent three further publications: in 1945 by the Limited Editions Club, New York; in 1953 by the Bodley Head, London; and in 1958 by the Folio Society, London.
The scholar who fashioned this theory was Marcel May in his La jeunesse de William Beckford et la genèse de son "Vathek" (Paris: Les Presses Universitaires de France, 1928).
The activities of a swarm of flies buzzing around Bababalouk's head are described by Beckford with the arresting phrase, "Qui lui courtisaient le nez." The phrase is rendered by Grimsditch (Nonesuch edition, p. 76): "which walked over his very nose." Henley's more accurate version captures and, perhaps, surpasses the sardonic spirit of the French: "that busily thronged, to pay court to his nose."
The direction is found in a letter to Henley of 9 February 1786: "The publication of Vathec must be postponed at least another year. I would not on any account have him precede the French edition." Henley had reason to fear that the delay could become longer. Beckford had written to Henley that he intended to finish writing The Episodes and to publish them with Vathek in a single French-language edition. It is possible that he might decide on a similar treatment of the English-language version. Beckford had planned to complete The Episodes in one year but, as Henley well knew, severe domestic and social problems were distracting Beckford's attention from his writing. Having laboured on Vathek without remuneration for three years and foreseeing an extended postponement, Henley may be forgiven for publishing his English version independently. Without Henley's act, Vathek might have shared the fate of The Episodes and been published posthumously.
Alfred Morrison, Collection of Autograph Letters and Historical Documents, Second Series, 1882-1893 (London: Printed for Private Circulation, 1893), I, 193.
A more complete account of the publication of the first two French-language editions of Vathek and of the controversy surrounding May's hypothesis that the Lausanne edition is a translation of Henley's English version of 1786 may be obtained by reading the following three sources: John Carter, "The Lausanne Edition of Beckford's Vathek," The Library, 17 (1937), 369-395; André Parreaux, William Beckford Auteur de Vathek (Paris: A.G. Nizet, 1960), 224-235; John Carter, "Review of William Beckford Auteur de Vathek," The Book Collector, 9 (1960), 473-478.
The relationship of the Henley and Lettice translations to the Lausanne text is examined in detail by Parreaux, op. cit., 491-510. Parreaux demonstrates that Lettice's translation is much closer to the Lausanne text than is Henley's and finally puts an end to speculation that the Lausanne edition is a retranslation of Henley's English version.
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