Reading Experience Database
1450-1945

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Record 19839

Reading Experience:

Evidence:
'I had him [Dean Swift] all to myself for near three hours, during which time he made me read to him the Annals of the four last years of the Reign of Queen [italics] Anne [end italics], written by himself; the Intentions of which seemed to be a Vindication of the then Ministry and himself, from having any Design of placing the Pretender on the Throne of [italics] Great Britain [end italics] [Pilkington summarises the content of the work] At the Conclusion of every Period, he demanded of me, "Whether I understood it? for I wou'd", says he, "have it intelligent to the meanest Capacity, and if you comprehend it, 'tis possible every Body may." I bow'd and assured him, I did. And indeed it was written with such Perspicuity and Elegance of Stile, that I must have had no Capacity at all if I did not taste what was so exquisitely beautiful.'
Century: 1700-1799
Date: From: 30 Nov 1729
Country: Ireland
Time: n/a
Place: city: Dublin
   
Type of Experience (Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Type of Experience (Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Reader/Listener/Reading Group:

Reader:Laetitia Pilkington
Age Adult (18-100+)
Gender Female
Date of Birth 1708
Socio-economic group: Clergy (includes all denominations)
Occupation: clergyman's wife
Religion: Anglican
Country of origin: Ireland
Country of experience: Ireland
Listeners present if any:
(e.g. family, servants, friends, workmates)
Jonathan Swift
Additional comments: n/a

 

Text Being Read:

Author: Jonathan Swift
Title: History of the Four Last Years of the Queen
Genre: History
Form of Text: Manuscript: Unknown
Publication details: written 1712, published 1758
Provenance: read in situ
read at Swift's Deanery

 

Source Information:

Record ID: 19839  
Source - Print  
  Author: Laetitia Pilkington
  Editor: A.C. Elias
  Title: Memoirs of Laetitia Pilkington
  Place of Publication: Athens GA
  Date of Publication: 1997
  Vol: I
  Page: 29
  Additional comments: n/a

Citation: Laetitia Pilkington, A.C. Elias (ed.), Memoirs of Laetitia Pilkington (Athens GA, 1997), I, p. 29, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/reading/recorddetails2.php?id=19839, accessed: 28 March 2024

Additional comments:

 

 

Reading Experience Database version 2.0.  Page updated: 27th Apr 2016  3:15pm (GMT)