Transcriber's Note:
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THE SONG OF SONGS

THE SONG OF SONGS

BY HERMANN SUDERMANN

A New Translation by BEATRICE MARSHALL

With an Introduction by JOHN LANE

LONDON: JOHN LANE THE BODLEY HEAD

VIGO STREET     MCMXIV

Third Edition.

THE ANCHOR PRESS, LTD. TIPTREE, ESSEX.

THE PUBLISHER'S NOTE

In 1898 I published a translation of Sudermann's "DerKatzensteg,"under the title of "Regina"; in 1906 of "Es War," under the title of"The Undying Past," and in 1908 of "Der Täufer," under the title of"John the Baptist." All these books were translated by Miss BeatriceMarshall, and the translations were received in England, America, andGermany with enthusiasm alike by critics and the public. I wastherefore naturally anxious to publish Herr Sudermann's great novel,"Das hohe Lied," on which he had been working for a great number ofyears, but I found that Mr. B. W. Huebsch of New York, the well-knownAmerican publisher, had purchased the world rights in the translation.My only chance therefore was to purchase from him the translation hehad had made, and this I acquired in sheet form, as he had alreadycopyrighted the book in this country. My edition of the work appearedhere in October, 1910, under the title of "The Song of Songs."

Serious objections were then raised to it in certain quarters, and Ishould like to place on record here exactly what happened and in propersequence, by first of all printing a letter which I wrote to SirMelville Macnaghten. Chief of the Criminal Investigation Department,Scotland Yard; a circular letter which I sent to the book trade; and acircular letter which I sent to the Incorporated Society of Authors andthe following well-known novelists, together with such replies as Ireceived:

London, W.,

December 9th, 1910.

Sir Melville Macnaghten,

Criminal Investigation Department,

New Scotland Yard, S.W.

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