Robert Tofte

Robert Tofte (1562 – January 1620) was an English translator and poet. He is best known for his translations of Ariosto's Satires and his sonnet sequences: Alba, The Months Minde of a Melancholy Lover (1598), and Laura, The Toyes of a Traveller: Or, The Feast of Fancie (1597). He is also known for translating the first three cantos of Boiardo's Orlando Innamorato.

Tofte invariably described himself, a ‘gentleman’ who travelled in France and Italy, and was in Naples in 1593. He was known familiarly among his friends as ‘Robin Redbreast,’ and his works contain frequent allusions to the name. His versification has been described as: although facile, is very unequal, but his translations are not deficient in spirit or in fidelity. He died in the house of a Mrs. Goodall in Holborn, near Barnard’s Inn, London, in January 1620, and was buried on 24 Jan. in the church of St. Andrew, Holborn.

Robert Tofte's publications

As described c.1900

• Laura. The Toyes of a Traueller. Or, The Fest of Fancie … By R. T. Gentleman printed at London by Valentine Sims in 1597, 8vo.

This little volume is dedicated Lady Lucy Percy, and consists of a collection of short poems ‘most parte conceiued in Italie, and some of them brought foorth in England,’ but it contains also more than thirty sonnets which are stated in ‘A Frends iust excuse’ appended to the work by ‘R.B.’ to be by another hand. Two copies only are known: one is in the British Museum; the other, formerly in the Isham Collection, found its way to the Britwell Court Library before being sold in February 1922 to A.S.W. Rosenbach.

• Alba. The Months Minde of a Melancholy Louer, diuided into three parts. By R. T. Gentleman printed at London by Felix Kingston for Matthew Lownes in 1598, 8vo.

It is dedicated to Mistress Anne Herne, but the ‘Laura’ and ‘Alba’ of Tofte’s muse appears to have been a lady of the name Caryll.

The only perfect copy extant is in the library of Mr. Alfred H. Huth: a second copy, wanting ‘Certaine Diuine Poems,’ and the translation of a letter from the Duke d’Epernon to Henry III of France, which follow the poem, is at Britwell Court. ‘Some Account of Tofte’s Alba, 1598’ was printed by J. O. Halliwell-Phillipps in 1864, and the text itself was reprinted, with an introduction and notes, by Alexander Balloch Grosart in 1880.

• The Fruits of Jealousie: or, A Loue (but not louing) Letter appended to his translation of Varchi’s ‘Blazon of Jealousie,’ 1615.

The earliest of Tofte’s translations from the Italian was ‘Two Tales Translated out of Ariosto. The one in dispraise of Men, the other in disgrace of Women,’ printed at London by Valentine Sims in 1597. The only copy known is at Britwell.

• ‘Orland Inamorato. The three first Bookes of that famous noble Gentleman and learned Poet Mathew Maria Boiardo … Done into English Heroicall Verse by R. T. Gentleman printed at London by Valentine Sims in 1598.

Copies are in the British Museum and the Bodleian Library.

• Of Mariage and Wiuing. An excellent, pleasant, and Philosophicall Controuersie, betweene the famous Tassi now liuing, the one Hercules the Philosopher, the other Torquato the Poet. Done into English by R.T. Gentleman (1599)

In this work ‘The Declamation … against Marriage or wedding of a Wife’ is by Ercole Tasso, the ‘Defence’ by Torquato Tasso. Copies are in the British Museum and in the Huth and Britwell collections.

• Aristo’s Satyres, in seuen famous Discourses … In English by Garuis Markham (1608)

The ascription of the work to Gervase Markham appears to have been a fraud on the part of the publisher, Roger Jackson, of Tofte in an address to the reader contained in the ‘Blazon of Jealousie’ says, ‘I had thought for they better contentment to haue inserted (at the end of this Booke) the disastrous fall or three nobel Romane Gentlemen, ouerthrowne thorow Iealousie in the Loues; but the same was, with Ariosto’s Satyes (translated by mee out of Italian into English Verse, and Notes vpon the same) Printed without my consent or knowledge, in another mans name.’ The claim was not disputed, and, moreover, the booke was reissued by the same publisher in 1611, without any name as translator, as ‘Aristos Seuen Planets Gouerning Italie.’ Copies of both issues are in the British Museum, the Bodleian Library, and at Britwell. ‘Honours Academie. Or the Famous Pastorall of the faire Shepheardesse, Julietta,’ translated from the French of Nicolas de Montreux, and printed in 1610, and Benedetto Varchi’s ‘Blazon of Jealousie,’ translated from the Italian, with ‘special’ notes, and printed in 1615, complete the list of Tofte’s works. Copies of the two last named are in the British Museum and at Britwell.

References

• Alexander Balloch Grosart, Introduction to his reprint of Tofte's Alba, 1880
• John Payne Collier, Bibliographical Catalogue, 1870, ii. 437.

Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Tofte, Robert". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. 

External links

• Robert Viking O'Brien's article on Laura from Appositions.