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

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
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Record Number: 17549


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'You ask me (pertly enough - pardon the expression) Whether I have read The Lay of the Last Minstrel - alas, only twice - And have, in addition, only the following Catalogue to subjoin of pleasing works which have come under my examination - English - Thalaba. Cowper Walker on The Revival of Italian Tragedy Southey's Tour in Spain Tommy Jones Italian - Metastasio's Olympiade Demofoonte, Giusepe riconosciuto, Gioas, La Clemenza di Tito, Catone, Regolo, Ciro, Zenobia - Tassos's Aminta - Seven Canto's of Ariosto, Il Vero Amore, an Italian novel - La bella pelegrina, La Zingana Merope, del Maffei, &c, &c, &c, &c French - None If you wish to know how I came to poke my green eyes into so many Italian books, I have this reply at your service. there has been an Italian Master here for above a month - and he brushed up for me the rusty odds an [sic] ends of his dulcet language which I had formerly picked up, & whilst he was here, & since his departure, I have done nothing but peep & pry into the works of his countrymen' [The format of SHB's list was in two columns, English and french to the left and Italian to the right]

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

Until: 3 Nov 1805

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

county: Cheshire
specific address: Delamere Lodge

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:

Sarah Harriet Burney

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

29 Aug 1772

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

governess, later writer

Religion:

n/a

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:

Pietro Metastasio

Title:

L'Olimpiade

Genre:

Drama

Form of Text:

Print: Unknown

Publication Details

in Italian

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

17549

Source:

Print

Author:

Sarah Harriet Burney

Editor:

Lorna J. Clark

Title:

Letters of Sarah Harriet Burney, The

Place of Publication:

Athens GA / London

Date of Publication:

1997

Vol:

n/a

Page:

66

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Sarah Harriet Burney, Lorna J. Clark (ed.), Letters of Sarah Harriet Burney, The (Athens GA / London, 1997), p. 66, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=17549, accessed: 28 March 2024


Additional Comments:

Burney was governess the family of George Wilbraham, Cheshire MP. Letter to Charlotte Francis, 3rd November 1805.

   
   
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