Record Number: 18473
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
[Charlotte Bury went to see Humphry Davy, hoping to enlist his support in a subscription for James Hogg] 'and the visit was productive to me of a great treasure; for seeing some verses lying on a table, I asked permission to read them, upon which I obtained a copy of the following lines, which are, apart from their own merit, invaluable as coming from so great a man. Lines by Sir Humphrey Davy To the Glow-worm THOU little gem of purest hue, That, from thy throne o'erspread with dew, Shedd'st lustre o'er the brightest green That ever clothed a woodland scene, I hail thy pure and tranquil light Thou lovely living lamp of night Thy haunt is in the deepest shade By purple heath and bracken made : By thee the sweetest minstrel sings, That courts the shady grove; O'er thee the woodlark spreads his wings, And sounds his notes of love Companion of the lights of heaven Thine is the softest breeze of even; For thee the balmy woodbine lives, The meadow-grass its fragrance gives. And thou canst make thy tranquil bower In Summer's sweetest, fairest flower. The hour of peace is all thy own ; Thy lamp is lit for one alone ; Shedding no transitory gleams. No rays to kindle or destroy ; Constant, innocuous, still it beams The light of life, of love, of joy.'
Century:1800-1849
Date:unknown
Country:n/a
Timen/a
Place:specific address: home of Humphry Davy
Type of Experience(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: Age:Adult (18-100+)
Gender:Female
Date of Birth:18 Feb 1775
Socio-Economic Group:Gentry
Occupation:lady-in-waiting
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: Title:'To the Glow-Worm'
Genre:Poetry
Form of Text:Manuscript: Sheet
Publication Detailsn/a
Provenanceowned
copied from an mS at the home of Humphry Davy
Source Information:
Record ID:18473
Source:Charlotte Bury
Editor:A. Francis Steuart
Title:Diary of a Lady-in-Waiting, The
Place of Publication:London
Date of Publication:1908
Vol:2
Page:183
Additional Comments:
n/a
Citation:
Charlotte Bury, A. Francis Steuart (ed.), Diary of a Lady-in-Waiting, The (London, 1908), 2, p. 183, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=18473, accessed: 19 April 2024
Additional Comments:
Letter is undated and chronology is unclear: Hogg produced volumes of poems in 1815, 1825 and 1831