Mary Moulton-Barrett to her daughter Elizabeth Barrett, on receiving advance copies of the latter's first published volume of poetry the previous evening, 28 February 1826: 'vain the temptations of our "rich repast," till I had peeped into those pieces which had not yet delighted our eyes -- nor did Papa, taste any thing, till he had found the paper cutter, so that between every two or three mouthfuls, we had "Riga's" dying strain, or a "dream," or something which made us feel too much to do the usual justice to Mrs Treherns cookery'.