The Trilogy: or Dante’s Three Visions – Dante Alighieri – 1859 | Wesley Thomas Translation

This 1859 Three Visions of Dante, translated by Wesley Thomas, is a scarce Victorian-era English verse translation of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, issued by Henry G. Bohn in London. Published under the extended title The Trilogy: or Dante’s Three Visions, this volume presents the full poetic text of the Inferno in a single octavo. John Wesley Thomas’s translation, relatively uncommon among mid-19th century editions, reflects a period when English readers sought accessible, single-volume formats of canonical European texts.

The structure of this edition reflects Bohn’s approach to literary publication in the mid-19th century. The translation stands apart from the more frequently cited versions by Cary or Longfellow. Thomas’s rendering has not been widely reprinted, and extant examples from this imprint remain few. The original cloth binding adds further interest for collectors who focus on unrebound Victorian issues.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Trilogy: or Dante’s Three Visions. Inferno, or the Vision of Hell
• Author(s): Dante Alighieri
• Contributor(s): John Wesley Thomas (Translator)
• Publisher: London: Henry G. Bohn
• Edition: First Bohn edition, 1859
• Format: Octavo, single volume
• Binding: Brown cloth
• Size:  8.25 in x 5.25 in (20.5 cm x 13.5 cm)
• Collation: l, [2], 356 pp
• Illustrations: Illustrated color frontispiece
• Contents Include:
  • Inferno
• Provenance: Handwritten signature of Thomas Freer, Barton-le-Willows, June 20^th 1859

Condition:

Bound in the original publisher’s brown cloth. The spine retains clear gilt titling, with moderate wear along the edges. The binding is original, with various stains to boards and spine. Plain page edges and lightly toned endpapers show expected age and foxing; textblock is weak at center. Internally complete. Illustrated color frontispiece is bright and intact in this issue.

Why Collect This?

• Scarce 1859 English verse translation of Dante’s Inferno
• Preserved in original cloth, uncommon in the trade
• Suitable for collectors of Victorian translations or early Dante in English

Item Number: #28683