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the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

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Listings for Author:  

Philip James Bailey

 

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Philip James Bailey : Festus

'I have just got Festus - order it and read. You will most likely find it a great bore, but there are really very grand [both words underlined] things in festus... I have these last two days been reading 'Festus'... This sublimity is Michael-Angelic.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Alfred Tennyson      Print: Book

  

Philip James Bailey : Festus

Elizabeth Barrett to Richard Hengist Horne, 9 June 1843: 'A gentleman, a poet, a correspondent, at large intervals, of mine [...] wrote to me, praising [John] Sterling extravagantly. [italics]I[end italics], .. who never cd see much in Sterling, .. was sincere & cold about him in reply, .. & begged the praiser to read Festus, which I was reading at the moment. Well! -- Presently I had another letter. My correspondent was astounded at me! Upon my praise, he had procured Festus, & looked at one or two pages, .. when he was driven back in convulsive fits, by the hot blast of Indecency & Blasphemy emitted from the leaves -- he found it impossible to read such a book!'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Barrett      Print: Book

  

Philip James Bailey : Festus

Elizabeth Barrett to Richard Hengist Horne, 9 June 1843: 'A gentleman, a poet, a correspondent, at large intervals, of mine [...] wrote to me, praising [John] Sterling extravagantly. [italics]I[end italics], .. who never cd see much in Sterling, .. was sincere & cold about him in reply, .. & begged the praiser to read Festus, which I was reading at the moment. Well! -- Presently I had another letter. My correspondent was astounded at me! Upon my praise, he had procured Festus, & looked at one or two pages, .. when he was driven back in convulsive fits, by the hot blast of Indecency & Blasphemy emitted from the leaves -- he found it impossible to read such a book!'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: anon      Print: Book

  

Philip James Bailey : Festus

Elizabeth Barrett to Richard Hengist Horne, letter postmarked 21 February 1844: '[italics]Have[end italics] I read "Festus"? Certainly I have [...] Oh yes! I was much struck by "Festus" [...] Both the "Festus" & the supplement apologetic to it, which appeared in the Monthly Repository (I think) filled me with admiration [...] Its [italics]fault[end italics] is an extraordinary inequality -- so really one falls down precipices continually; & from pinnacles of grandeur, into profundities of badness. Parts of the poem are as bad, & as weak as is well possible to be conceived of: and moreover [...] there is an occasional coarseness & gratuitous indelicacy [...] Also, I will not say that there is not some over-daring in relation to divine things [...] But when all is said, what poet-stuff remains!'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Barrett      Print: Book

  

Philip James Bailey : Additional scene for Festus

Elizabeth Barrett to Richard Hengist Horne, letter postmarked 21 February 1844: '[italics]Have[end italics] I read "Festus"? Certainly I have [...] Oh yes! I was much struck by "Festus" [...] Both the "Festus" & the supplement apologetic to it, which appeared in the Monthly Repository (I think) filled me with admiration [...] Its [italics]fault[end italics] is an extraordinary inequality -- so really one falls down precipices continually; & from pinnacles of grandeur, into profundities of badness. Parts of the poem are as bad, & as weak as is well possible to be conceived of: and moreover [...] there is an occasional coarseness & gratuitous indelicacy [...] Also, I will not say that there is not some over-daring in relation to divine things [...] But when all is said, what poet-stuff remains!'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Barrett      Print: Serial / periodical

  

Philip James Bailey : 

'[quotation from Maurice Bowra's Memoirs] The first time I met him [John Betjeman] he talked fluently about half forgotten authors of the nineteenth century - Sir Henry Taylor, Ebeneezer Elliott, Philip James Bailey, and Sir Lewis Morris'.

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: John Betjeman      Print: Book

 

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