Evidence: | 'I had him [Dean Swift] all to myself for near three hours, during which time he made me read to him the Annals of the four last years of the Reign of Queen [italics] Anne [end italics], written by himself; the Intentions of which seemed to be a Vindication of the then Ministry and himself, from having any Design of placing the Pretender on the Throne of [italics] Great Britain [end italics] [Pilkington summarises the content of the work] At the Conclusion of every Period, he demanded of me, "Whether I understood it? for I wou'd", says he, "have it intelligent to the meanest Capacity, and if you comprehend it, 'tis possible every Body may." I bow'd and assured him, I did. And indeed it was written with such Perspicuity and Elegance of Stile, that I must have had no Capacity at all if I did not taste what was so exquisitely beautiful.' |
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Century: | 1700-1799 | ||||||||||
Date: | From: 30 Nov 1729 | ||||||||||
Country: | Ireland | ||||||||||
Time: | n/a | ||||||||||
Place: | city: Dublin | ||||||||||
Type of Experience (Reader): |
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Type of Experience (Listener): |
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Reader: | Laetitia Pilkington |
Age | Adult (18-100+) |
Gender | Female |
Date of Birth | 1708 |
Socio-economic group: | Clergy (includes all denominations) |
Occupation: | clergyman's wife |
Religion: | Anglican |
Country of origin: | Ireland |
Country of experience: | Ireland |
Listeners present if any: (e.g. family, servants,
friends, workmates) |
Jonathan Swift |
Additional comments: | n/a |
Author: | Jonathan Swift |
Title: | History of the Four Last Years of the Queen |
Genre: | History |
Form of Text: | Manuscript: Unknown |
Publication details: | written 1712, published 1758 |
Provenance: | read in situ read at Swift's Deanery |
Record ID: | 19839 | |
Source - | ||
Author: | Laetitia Pilkington | |
Editor: | A.C. Elias | |
Title: | Memoirs of Laetitia Pilkington | |
Place of Publication: | Athens GA | |
Date of Publication: | 1997 | |
Vol: | I | |
Page: | 29 | |
Additional comments: | n/a |
Citation: | Laetitia Pilkington, A.C. Elias (ed.), Memoirs of Laetitia Pilkington (Athens GA, 1997), I, p. 29, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/reading/recorddetails2.php?id=19839, accessed: 23 September 2023 |
Reading Experience Database version 2.0. Page updated: 27th Apr 2016 3:15pm (GMT)