Evidence: | 'The Dean then shew'd me the Poem he wrote on his own death; when I came to that Part of it,
[italics] Behold the fatal Day arrive!
How is the Dean? He's just alive [end italics]
I was so sensibly affected, that my Eyes fill'd with Tears; The Dean observing it, said, "Phoo, I am not dead yet - but you shan't read any more now". I then earnestly requested he would let me take it home with me. [he did this, on condition she neither copy it nor show it to anyone else - she did not, but her memory was very good and she learnt it and "could not forbear delighting some particular Friends with a Rehearsal of it" - when Swift heard others knew it, he thought LP had broken her word and was furious. He would not believe her assurances to the contrary] and produc'd a Poerm something like it, publish'd in [italics] London [end italics], and told me, from my reading it about, that odd Burlesque on it had taken rise. He bade me read it aloud. I did so, and could not forbear laughing, as I plainly perceiv'd, tho' he had endeavour'd to disguise his Stile, that the Dean had burlesqu'd himself'. |
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Century: | 1700-1799 | ||||||||||
Date: | Between 1 Sep 1732 and 30 Apr 1733 | ||||||||||
Country: | Ireland | ||||||||||
Time: | n/a | ||||||||||
Place: | city: Dublin specific address: Deanery House |
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Type of Experience (Reader): |
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Type of Experience (Listener): |
|
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) |
n/a |
Additional comments: | n/a |
Author: | Jonathan Swift |
Title: | Verses on the Death of Dr Swift |
Genre: | Poetry |
Form of Text: | Manuscript: Unknown |
Publication details: | n/a |
Provenance: | read in situ read at Swift's Deanery |
Record ID: | 19862 | |
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: | 54-5 | |
Additional comments: | n/a |
Citation: | Laetitia Pilkington, A.C. Elias (ed.), Memoirs of Laetitia Pilkington (Athens GA, 1997), I, p. 54-5, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/reading/recorddetails2.php?id=19862, accessed: 04 October 2023 |
Date of birth 1708 or 1709. Verses later re-read at home. |
Reading Experience Database version 2.0. Page updated: 27th Apr 2016 3:15pm (GMT)