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Ludvig Holberg: Fragment of Epistle no. 447. 1751-1753.
NkS 2020m

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P. 27: First page of the fragment P. 34: Last page, with deletion


From 1751 to 1753 Ludvig Holberg (1684-1754), the outstanding Danish-Norwegian literary figure of the Age of Enlightenment, wrote the fourth part of his autobiography. It was included in his Epistles as no. 447. Here he briefly mentions a legal action that he took against his bailiff. Originally he wrote a detailed account, but as he – contrary to expectation – lost the case in the Supreme Court, he left it out. However, it is preserved as a manuscript in his own handwriting – and that is the fragment shown here.

21.3 x 16.6 cm.

Published with an introduction and commentary by F.J. Billeskov Jansen in: Ludvig Holberg, Epistler I-VIII, Copenhagen 1944-1954, vol. V, pp. 1-25 (Ep. 447), vol. VII, pp. 361-376 (commentary on Ep. 447), vol. VIII, pp. 16-22 (the deleted account).

See the entire fragment on the website of the Archive of Danish Literature Fragment of Epistle no. 447 (fourth Biographical Letter) (only in Danish).


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