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

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Record Number: 18307


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Since I have been in London I have read nothing but Miss Seward's letters and Miss Owenson's Missionary. Of Miss Seward I am bound to speak well, as she doth so of me; and her monodies are beauiful; but the letters are naught; they abound in false sentiment, and a great many other false things. As to the Missionary, Ambrosio is his father, and Matilde his mother; but, wanting the indelicacy of papa, and the delicacy of mamma, he's a dull fellow. I could think of nothing else but poor Margaret Stewart of Blantyre, and her presbyterian minister, while I read this. Miss Luxina brought her hogs to a bad market, for Hilarion was little better than a beast. Walter Scott's last poem I have also seen, but so hastily that I can be no competent judge of its merits. Talking of words, allow me to recommend to you Ford's plays, lately re-published. Some of them are excellent; the first in the series (which hath an awkward name, I must confess) and the Broken Heart, are particularly admirable. I am sure that you will be struck with them; for Ford is almost as moving as Otway or Lee, - who is the mad poet I adore, yet I can persuade nobody to read him. The History of the Somerville Family, which I have seen in MS., is soon to be printed, and that of Sutherland is to be out shortly'.

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

Until: 31 Dec 1811

Country:

n/a

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

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:

Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

1781

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

archaeologist / antiquarian

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

Scotland

Country of Experience:

n/a

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

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

James Somerville Somerville

Title:

Memorie of the Somervilles being a history of the baronial House of Somerville

Genre:

History, Biography

Form of Text:

Manuscript: MS book

Publication Details

Not in fact published till 1815

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

18307

Source:

Print

Author:

Lady Charlotte Bury

Editor:

A. Francis Steuart

Title:

Diary of a Lady-in-Waiting, The

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1908

Vol:

I

Page:

68

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Lady Charlotte Bury, A. Francis Steuart (ed.), Diary of a Lady-in-Waiting, The (London, 1908), I, p. 68, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=18307, accessed: 20 April 2024


Additional Comments:

It is rather ambiguous who this letter (included in Bury's journal) is from, but it seems to be Sharpe. Walter Scott was involved in this book.

   
   
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