Johann Gottfried Gellius

Johann Gottfried Gellius (born April 27, 1732 in Dresden ; died August 26, 1781 in Leipzig ) was a German translator and author.

Life

Gellius was the son of the lawyer Johann Constantin Gellius. He studied theology in Leipzig , but after completing his master's degree he decided to become a private scholar and henceforth to work as a translator of German and English literature. The need for translations of current literature and corresponding language skills, which was growing rapidly at the time, allowed him to have a reasonably secure existence.

The numerous translations he has made cover a broad spectrum. These include works of fiction such as the Nouvelle Héloïse (published in 1761, the first part of Gellius 'translation appeared in the same year) by Jean-Jacques Rousseau or Oliver Goldsmith's Vicar of Wakefield (published in 1766, Gellius' translation in 1767) and also dramatic works, for example the dramas by George Lillo (1777 f.). He also translated writings of philosophical ( Francis Hutcheson's treatise on the nature and mastery of the passions 1760), historical ( Christoph Hermann von Manstein's Historical, Political and Military News from Russia 1771) and religious ( Formeys Sensible and Christian Devotional Exercises 1770) content. Furthermore, he published collections of entertainment literature, some of which were voluminous ( lessons and pastimes for the fair sex in collected letters and stories in 29 parts), mostly aimed at a female readership. A number of the works he has translated are by female authors, often not named (“by a woman” as author's statement).

In the notes he wrote on the use of German art judges (1762), he took part in the literary controversy of the Querelle des Anciens et des Modernes for the avant-garde.

Fonts

Notes on the use of German art judges. 1762.

Translations

Not all of Goedeke u. a. indicated title. In some cases, the authors of the template are also unknown.

Collection of short novels and short stories from the French. 2 parts. Leipzig 1755 f.
The marital status. A novel from the English. 4 parts. Leipzig 1756 f.
John Trenchard , Thomas Gordon : Cato, or Letters of the Freedom and Happiness of a People under Good Government. 4 parts. Göttingen 1756 f.
Adam Fitz-Adam (d. I. Edward Moore ): The world. A periodical font. Leipzig 1757.
Francis Hutcheson : Treatise on the nature and control of passions and inclinations, and on moral feeling in particular. Leipzig 1760, digitized .
Collected women's letters for the benefit and enjoyment from different languages. 12 parts. Leipzig 1759–1764.
Letters, conversations, stories and fables. From the English. Leipzig 1760.
Francis Hutcheson : Treatise on Nature and the Mastery of Passions and Affections. From the English. Leipzig 1760.
Sarah Fielding : History of the Countess of Dellwyn. From Fielding's sister, the author of the David Simple. From the English. Leipzig 1761, digitized .
Jean-Jacques Rousseau : The new Heloise . From the French. 4 parts. Leipzig 1761–1766.
Jacques Lacomobe : Story of the Queen of Sweden, Christine. Leipzig 1762.
The story of a young gentleman recorded by himself. From the English. Frankfurt & Leipzig 1763.
Library for youths, or collected moral teachings for all scenes in life. Leipzig 1763.
Oliver Goldsmith : Letters from a Chinese philosopher to his friends in the east. From the English. 2 parts. Leipzig 1763 f.
Barnabé Farmian de Rosoi: Caecilie's letters to Julien. A novel. From the French. Frankfurt & Leipzig 1764.
Marie-Jeanne Riccoboni : Story of Miss Jenny. Written by herself and addressed to the Countess von Roscomond, English envoy to the Danish court. Leipzig 1764.
Lessons and pastimes for the fair sex in collected letters and stories. From French and English. 29 parts. Leipzig 1765–1776, digitized .
Oliver Goldsmith: The Country Preacher of Wakefield . A fairy tale that he is said to have written himself. Leipzig 1767, 2nd edition .
The pleasure of the sofa in moral tales. From English and French. 4 parts. Leipzig 1767–1769.
Frances Brooke : Story of Aemilie Montague, from the author of the story of Lady Julie Mandeville. From the English. Leipzig 1769.
Story of Mrs. Williams. Written by a woman. From the English. Leipzig 1770.
Jean Henri Samuel Formey : Reasonable and Christian Devotional Exercises for the Use of All Believers. From the French. Leipzig 1770, digitized .
Yorick's Postponed Works. Leipzig 1771.
Letters from a doctor to women or rules of the art to preserve health and beauty. From the English. Leipzig 1771, digitized . Reprint: Treptower Verlag-Haus, Berlin 1990, ISBN 3-7303-0605-7 .
Christoph Hermann von Manstein : Historical, political and military news from Russia from the year 1727 to 1744, in which time periods, besides many important state events, also the wars with the Turks and Swedes occur ... Leipzig 1771, digitalized .
Richard Graves : The clergyman Don Qvixote or Gottfried Wildgoosens during the summer on hired wanderings. A funny novel. 3 parts. Leipzig 1773.
The dream, or a stroll into the paradise of the fools. A story. From the English. 2 parts. Leipzig 1773, Vol. 1 , 2 .
Hester Chapone : Letters for the Formation of Mind, addressed to a young woman. From the English of Mrs. Chapone. In addition to a father's legacy to his daughters. From the English of D. Gregory. Leipzig 1774.
Philip Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield : Letters from Mr. Philipp Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield to his son Philipp Stanhope, Esquire, former envoy extraordinary at the Dresden court. 6 parts. Leipzig 1774–1777.
Jonas Hanway: virtue in the low life, or reflections on the mutual duties of the rich and poor, of masters and servants. Thoughts about the many conditions, passions, prejudices and virtues of men, derived from true abstracts; along with related fables ...; in conversations between a father and his daughter. 4 parts. Leipzig 1775 f.
Arnaud's historical stories. From the French. 2 parts. Leipzig 1775 a. 1778.
The Irish Guardian. A touching story. Written by a woman. From the English. Leipzig 1776.
The unmarried aunt. A novel. From a woman. From the English. 2 parts. Leipzig 1776 f.
Collection of letters and stories from foreign languages. Leipzig 1776–1778.
George Lillo : Mr Lillo's Dramatic Works. From the English. 2 parts. Leipzig 1777 f.
Alexander Bicknell: Tale of Lady Anne Neville, the great Earl of Warwick's sister, who is interspersed with news of this lord and demolitions of the most distinguished people of her age. Leipzig 1772.

literature

Peter Kapitza: A civil war in the learned world. Munich 1981
Karl Goedeke , Edmund Goetze: Outline of the history of German poetry from the sources. 3. Edition. Ehlermann, Leipzig 1916, Vol. 4, Section 1. P. 587  f.
Gerda Riedl: Gellius, Johann Gottfried. In: Wilhelm Kühlmann (Ed.): Killy Literature Lexicon . Authors and works from the German-speaking cultural area. 2., completely revised Ed. De Gruyter, Berlin 2009, vol. 4, p. 148.

Web links

Literature by and about Johann Gottfried Gellius in the catalog of the German National Library

Individual evidence

^ Translation of The Koran, or the Life, Character, and Sentiments of Tria Juncta in Uno, MNA, or Master of No Arts! , an alleged work by Laurence Sterne which appeared as part of The Posthumous Works of a late Celebrated Genius, deceased, AM 1770. The actual author is Richard Griffith († 1788). See Sidney Lee : Stars, Laurence . In: Dictionary of National Biography . Vol. 54. London 1898.

personal data
SURNAME	Gellius, Johann Gottfried
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German translator
DATE OF BIRTH	April 27, 1732
PLACE OF BIRTH	Dresden
DATE OF DEATH	August 26, 1781
Place of death	Leipzig

[1] Translation of The Koran, or the Life, Character, and Sentiments of Tria Juncta in Uno, MNA, or Master of No Arts! , an alleged work by Laurence Sterne which appeared as part of The Posthumous Works of a late Celebrated Genius, deceased, AM 1770. The actual author is Richard Griffith († 1788). See Sidney Lee : Stars, Laurence . In: Dictionary of National Biography . Vol. 54. London 1898.