Peccati di gioventù: Lucy Hutchinson e la prima traduzione inglese del De rerum natura

The article provides a brief history and a description of the first english translation of Lucretius De rerum Natura, completed in the 1650s by the puritan poet Lucy Hutchinson. The dedicatory letter of the translation is discussed and contextualised. A close reading of the text shows that Hutchinson' condemnation of Lucretius' philosophy and her self-presentation as a unworthy author are not to be taken too literally. In fact the only surviving manuscript, described in the article, reveals that the real intent of Lucy Hutchinson was to publish her text in the form of 'scribal publication'. The last part of the article focuses on the translation strategies adopted by LH.