Evidence: | '[her mother having forbidden her to learn to read due to her weak eyes] I was at this time about five Years of Age, and my Mother being one Day abroad, I had happily laid hold on "Alexander's Feast", and found something in it so charming, that I read it aloud; - but how like a condemned Criminal did I look, when my Father, softly opening his Study-door, took in the very Fact; I dropt my Book, and burst into Tears, begging Pardon, and promising never to do so again: But my Sorrow was soon dispell'd, when he bade me not be frighten'd, but read to him, which to his great Surprize, I did very distinctly, and without hurting the beauty of the Numbers. Instead of the whipping, of which I stood in Dread, he took me up in his Arms, and kiss'd me, giving me a whole Shilling, as a Reward, and told me, "He would give me another, as soon as I got a Poem by Heart"; which he put into my Hand, and prov'd to be Mr [italics] Pope[end italics]'s sacred Eclogue, which Task I perform'd before my Mother return'd Home. They were both astonish'd at my Memory, and from that Day forward, I was [permitted to read as much as I pleas'd' |
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Century: | 1700-1799 | ||||||||||
Date: | Between 1 Jan 1713 and 31 Dec 1714 | ||||||||||
Country: | Ireland | ||||||||||
Time: | daytime | ||||||||||
Place: | city: Dublin | ||||||||||
Type of Experience (Reader): |
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Type of Experience (Listener): |
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Reader: | Laetitia van Lewen |
Age | Child (0-17) |
Gender | Female |
Date of Birth | 1708 |
Socio-economic group: | Professional / academic / merchant / farmer |
Occupation: | doctor's daughter |
Religion: | Anglican |
Country of origin: | Ireland |
Country of experience: | Ireland |
Listeners present if any: (e.g. family, servants,
friends, workmates) |
n/a |
Additional comments: | later Laetitia Pilkington |
Author: | John Dryden |
Title: | Alexander's Feast |
Genre: | Poetry |
Form of Text: | Print: Book |
Publication details: | n/a |
Provenance: | borrowed (other) belonged to her parents |
Record ID: | 19831 | |
Source - | ||
Author: | Laetitia Pilkington | |
Editor: | A.C. Elias | |
Title: | Memoirs of Laetitia Pilkington | |
Place of Publication: | Athens GA | |
Date of Publication: | 1997 | |
Vol: | I | |
Page: | 13 | |
Additional comments: | n/a |
Citation: | Laetitia Pilkington, A.C. Elias (ed.), Memoirs of Laetitia Pilkington (Athens GA, 1997), I, p. 13, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/reading/recorddetails2.php?id=19831, accessed: 18 April 2024 |
Date of birth either 1708 or 1709 |
Reading Experience Database version 2.0. Page updated: 27th Apr 2016 3:15pm (GMT)