Weird Tales, Vol. II

Weird Tales by E.T.W. Hoffmann, Vol. II (1885) This volume collects six supernatural and fantastical tales by German Romantic author E.T.W. Hoffmann, newly translated by J.T. Bealby with eleven etchings by A. Lalauze. "Arthur's Hall," set in Dantzic, concerns young merchant Traugott who encounters two mysterious strangers—a dark melancholic man and a beautiful youth—depicted in the decorative procession of the medieval trading hall. Distracted by their image while drafting business correspondence, Traugott sketches rather than writes, incurring his employer Elias Roos's fury. A stranger recognizes genuine artistic talent in the sketches, flattering Traugott's artistic aspirations against his merchant calling. The narrative follows Traugott's conflict between commercial duty and creative impulse. The contents also include "The Doge and Dogaress," "Master Martin the Cooper," "Mademoiselle de Scuderi," "Gambler's Luck," and "Master Johannes Wacht." The edition is limited to one thousand copies with distributed type.