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

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Record Number: 24393


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, 26- c.29 April 1794: 'Saturday last the day I began this letter I was at Downing at old Robert Lovells. the most primitive of Quakers but withall an affable intelligent pleasant man. he was pleasd with me & in a manner which interested me very much, offerd to lend me a good book written by William Dell. the offer was so made that if I could I would not have refused him. & in fact I am reading a large octavo full of mysticism. tis but a few hours stole from rhyming — it gives him pleasure & I shall get a little knowledge of John Huss Jerome of Prague & Martin Luther. Nullus est alius antichristus in mundo, neque venturus quam sacerdotes. Jo. Huss. you may see the tenor of the book from these quotations in it) however the followers of Aristotle (who certainly is dead & as Luther says damned if the imprecations of those he has puzzled take effect) may ridicule the idea of tragicomedy I am myself partial to that stile of writing. look at Hamlet. who would feel half the pleasure at seeing it represented if it were all upon the stills of tragedy.'

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

Until: 29 Apr 1794

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Oxford

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:

Robert Southey

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

12 Aug 1774

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

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:

William Dell

Title:

The Doctrine of Baptisms

Genre:

Other religious

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

borrowed (other)
from Robert Lovells


Source Information:

Record ID:

24393

Source - Manuscript:

Other

Author:

"The Collected Letters of Robert Southey," Romantic Circles Electronic Edition, Letter 88. http://www.rc.umd.edu/editions/southey_letters. Accessed 24 April 2009. ,

Citation:

"The Collected Letters of Robert Southey," Romantic Circles Electronic Edition, Letter 88. http://www.rc.umd.edu/editions/southey_letters. Accessed 24 April 2009. , http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=24393, accessed: 20 April 2024


Additional Comments:

None

   
   
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