interest of the pure
narrative we have passages of a rhythm that is lyric, exquisitely
descriptive of the picturesque tropical scenery and exotic vegetations,
fragrant and luxuriant; there are intimate accounts of adventuring and
primitive life; there are personal touches which lend a colour only
personal touches can, as Aphara tells her prose-epic of her Superman,
Caesar the slave, Oroonoko the prince.

It is not difficult to trace the influence of _Oroonoko_. We can
see it in many an English author; in Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, in
Chateaubriand. Her idyllic romance has inspired writers who perhaps but
dimly remember even her name and her genius.

It was often reprinted separately from the rest. There is a little 12mo
_Oroonoko_, 'the ninth edition corrected', published at Doncaster, 1759,
'for C. Plummer', which is rarely seen save in a torn and well-thumbed
state.[1]

In 1777 the sentimental and highly proper Mrs. Elizabeth Griffith
included _Oroonoko_ in her three volume _Collection of Novels selected
and revised._ _Oroonoko_, 'written originally by Mrs. Behn and revised
by Mrs. Griffith'[2], was also issued separately, 'price sixpence'[3],
in 1800, frontispieced by a very crude picture of a black-a-moor about
to attack a tiger.

As early as 1709 we find _Lebens und Liebes-Geschichte des Koeniglichen
Sclaven Oroonoko in West-Indien_, a German translation published at
Hamburg, with a portrait of 'Die Sinnreiche Engellaenderin Mrs. Afra
Behn.'

In 1745 _Oroonoko_ was 'traduit de l'Anglois de Madame Behn,' with the
motto from Lucan 'Quo fata trahunt virtus secura sequetur.' There is a
rhymed dedication 'A Madame La M. P. D'l . . .' (35 lines), signed
D. L.****, i.e., Pierre-Antoine de la Place, a fecund but mediocre
writer of the eighteenth century (1707-93), who also translated, _Venice
Preserv'd_, _The Fatal Marriage_, _Tom Jones_, and other English
masterpieces. There is another edition of de la Place's version with
fine plates engraved by C. Baron after Marillier, Londres, 1769.

In 1696 Southerne's great tragedy, founded upon Mrs. Behn's novel, was
produced at Drury Lane. Oroonoko was created by Verbruggen, Powell acted
Aboan, and the beautiful Mrs. Rogers Imoinda. The play has some
magnificent passages, and long kept the stage. Southerne had further
added an excellent comic underplot, full of humour and the truest _vis
comica_. It is perhaps worth noting that the intrigues of Lucy and
Charlotte and the