Record Number: 13429

---

Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Many thanks for St Ronan, by far the best that has appeared for some time,?I mean the best of Sir Walter?s, and therefore, of course, better than all others. Every now and then there is some mistaken and over-charged humour?but much excellent delineation of character,?the story very well told, and the whole very interesting. Lady Binks, the old landlady, and Touchwood are all very good. Mrs Blower particularly so. So are MacTurk and Lady Penelope. I wish he would give his people better names: Sir Bingo Binks is quite ridiculous. I was very glad to find Dryasdust and Meg Merrilies excluded; one was never good, and the other too often good. The curtain should have dropped on finding Clara?s glove. Some of the serious scenes with Clara and her brother are very fine,?the Knife scene masterly. In her light and gay moments Clara is very vulgar; but Sir Walter always fails in well bred men and women,?and yet, who has seen more of both? and who in the ordinary intercourse of Society is better bred? Upon the whole, I call this a very successful exhibition'.

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

Until: 28 Dec 1823

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Foston
county: Yorkshire

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:

Sydney Smith

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

3 Jun 1771

Socio-Economic Group:

Clergy (includes all denominations)

Occupation:

Clergyman

Religion:

Christian

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

---

Text Being Read:

Author:

Walter Scott

Title:

St Ronan's Well

Genre:

Fiction

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

owned
sent by Constable

---

Source Information:

Record ID:

13429

Source:

Print

Author:

n/a

Editor:

Nowell C. Smith

Title:

The Letters of Sydney Smith

Place of Publication:

Oxford

Date of Publication:

1953

Vol:

I

Page:

404-5

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Nowell C. Smith (ed.), The Letters of Sydney Smith (Oxford, 1953), I, p. 404-5, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=13429, accessed: 19 April 2024

---

Additional Comments:

Letter to Archibald Constable