Worlding America : a transnational anthology of short narratives before 1800

264 Pages·2015·12.49 MB·English

by  Scheiding

WOR L DI NG A M ER ICA

W O R L D I N G A M E R I C A
A Transnational Anthology
of Short Narratives
before 1800
EDITED AND WITH AN INTRODUCTION
AND CRITICAL NOTES BY
OLIVER SCHEIDING AND MARTIN SEIDL
STANFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA
Stanford University Press
Stanford, California
©2015 by the Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system without the prior written permission of
Stanford University Press.
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free, archival-quality paper
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Worlding America : a transnational anthology of short narratives before 1800 / edited
and with an introduction and critical notes by Oliver Scheiding and Martin Seidl.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn 978-0-8047-9080-2 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. America--Literatures--17th century. 2. America--Literatures--18th century.
I. Scheiding, Oliver, editor, writer of introduction. II. Seidl, Martin (Martin Johannes),
editor, writer of introduction.
pn845.w67 2015
808.8'03587003--dc23
2014017369
isbn 978-0-8047-9259-2 (electronic)
Typeset by Bruce Lundquist in 10/15 Minion Pro
For Alfred Weber
(1925–2006)

CON T EN TS
List of Illustrations xi
Acknowledgments xiii
A Note on the Text xv
Introduction 1
PART I LIFE WRITING 19
TRAVEL
Paul Le Jeune. Relation of What Occurred in New France
in the Year 1633 (1634) 27
Edward Taylor. An Atlantic Voyage (1668) 32
Christopher Sauer. An Early Description of Pennsylvania
and the Sea Voyage from Europe (1724) 43
MISADVENTURE
Anthony Thacher. The Shipwreck of Anthony Thacher (1684) 50
Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora. The Misfortunes of
Alonso Ramírez (1690) 55
CONFESSIONS
Owen Syllavan. A Short Account of the Life of John—
Alias Owen Syllavan (1756) 63
Thomas Powers. The Narrative and Confession of
Thomas Powers, A Negro (1796) 68
viii C ONTENTS
PART II FEMALE AGENCY 77
CAPTIVITIES
Marie Le Roy and Barbara Leininger. The Narrative of
Marie le Roy and Barbara Leininger, for Three Years
Captives among the Indians (1759) 82
Cotton Mather. A Narrative of a Notable Deliverance
from Captivity (1697) 90
Anonymous [Nathaniel Hawthorne]. The Duston Family (1836) 93
AUTHORSHIP
Antonetta [Margaretta V. Faugeres]. Inhuman Treatment
to a Negro Slave (1791) 98
Ann Eliza Bleecker. Story of Henry and Anne:
Founded on Fact (1791) 101
PART III THE CIRCUM-ATLANTIC WORLD 115
SLAVERY
Anonymous. Negro Trade: A Fragment (1787) 119
[Jean-François de Saint-Lambert]. Zimeo:
A Tale (1789) 120
ENTREPRENEURS
Antiphilus [Pseudonym]. Memoirs of a Spy (1798) 130
Philip Freneau. The Inexorable Captain: A Short Story (1788) 136
PART IV CULTURES OF PRINT 143
ORIENTALISM
Anonymous. Firnaz and Mirvan: An Eastern Tale (1792) 151
Sabina [Pseudonym]. Louisa: A Novel (1790) 155
CONTENTS ix
MIGRANT FICTIONS
[Nicholas Bricaire de la Dixmerie]. Azakia:
A Canadian Story (1783) 166
Anonymous. The Child of Snow (1792) 174
SENSATIONALISM
Anna [Pseudonym]. An Account of a Murder Committed by
Mr. J.—Y—, Upon his Family, in December, A.D. 1781 (1796) 176
Anonymous [Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian]. Valeria:
An Italian Tale (1799) 181
PART V GHOST STORIES 203
GHOSTS
Cotton Mather. A Narrative of an Apparition which a
Gentleman in Boston, had of his Brother, just then
Murdered in London (1692) 210
Anonymous. The Ghost of Falkner Swamp (1744) 211
Chiricahua. A Chiricahua Woman Visits the Underworld (n.d.) 214
LEGENDS
Anonymous [Anna Lætitia Barbauld]. Sir Bertrand:
A Fragment. By Mrs. Barbauld (1787) 215
Washington Irving. The Devil and Tom Walker (1824) 218
MYTH
K’iche’ Maya. A Maiden’s Story (c. 1524) 228
Penobscot. Corn Mother (n.d.) 231
Benjamin Franklin. The Origin of Tobacco (1784) 233
Works Cited 237