and naturally of far less value in a bibliographer’s eyes. A large number of reprints increased with amazing rapidity and in the same year the novel was translated into French by Henri Faber, Le Vampire, nouvelle traduite de l’anglais de Lord Byron, Paris, 1819. In February, 1820, there followed under the aegis of Charles Nodier a very obvious imitation, or rather continuation by Cyprien Bérard, Lord Ruthwen ou les Vampires. “Roman de C. B. Publié par l’auteur de Jean Sbogar et de Thérèse Aubert.[34] Paris, 1820.” In 1825, a new translation of Polidori’s story was given by Eusèbe de Salles. Nor was Germany behind hand, for The Vampyre was first translated in 1819: Der Vampyr. Eine Erzahlung aus dem Englischen des Lord Byron. Nebst einer Schilderung seines Aufenthaltes in Mytilene. Leipzig, 1819. In the following year there appeared at Frankfort a version by J.V. Adrian of Byron’s poems and prose, wherein was included Der Blutsuger. In a collection of Byron’s work the first volume of which was published at Zwickau in 1821, The Vampyre again found a place in volume V (1821), translated by Christian Karl Meifsner as Der Vampyr. The tale has also been included in various other continental collections and translations of Byron’s work even until a recent date.
Yet it was well-known all the while that Polidori was the author of the story, but as Byron’s was by far the greater name, so this sensational novella must be attributed to the cavaliero whose romantic adventures and the scandal of whose amours were thrilling the whole of Europe. Writing in the same year as the great poet’s death Amédée Pichot of the University of Marseilles in his Essai sur le génie et le caractère de Lord Byron[35] declared that this spurious issue “a autant contribué à faire connaître le nom de lord Byron en France, que ses poëmes les plus estimés.” Publishers insisted upon Le Vampire, “nouvelle,” being included among Byron’s works, and it is said that Ladvocat was furious when it was represented to him that since it was openly acknowledged that Polidori had written The Vampire, the translation should properly be no longer given among the poet’s work nor put forth under his name.
As might have been expected it was not long before the Vampire appeared upon the stage, and the first play of this kind would seem to be the famous melodrama by Charles
