Reading Experience Database
1450-1945

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Record 8581

Reading Experience:

Evidence:
'Well,? at the Lower Rooms we saw this Woman, ? whose Face carries an affirmation of all this account, ? it is bold, hardened, painted, snuft, leering & impudent! Just such a face as I should Draw for Mrs. Sinclear ? Her Dress, too, was of the same cast, a thin muslin short sacque & Coat lined throughout with Pink, ? a [ital] modesty bit [close ital.] [xxxxx 2 words] ? & something of a [ital.] very [ital.] short cloak half concealed about half of her old wrinkled Neck? the rest was visible to disgust the beholders, ? red Bows and Ribbons in abundance, a Gauze Bonnet tipt on to the top of her Head, & a pair of Mittens! ? We were all curious to see this Queen of Bath, as she is called, on account of the expensive Entertainments she makes, & therefore we got very near to her. . . . a Wretch notorious for all manner of evil: a wretch who, Miss Bowdler has told me, endeavours as much , by dispersing obscene Books, to corrupt youth, as to assist already corrupted maturity in the prosecution of vice!'
Century: 1700-1799
Date: unknown
Country: England
Time: n/a
Place: n/a
   
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:Frances Burney
Age Adult (18-100+)
Gender Female
Date of Birth 13 Jun 1752
Socio-economic group: Professional / academic / merchant / farmer
Occupation: writer
Religion: Christian
Country of origin: England
Country of experience: England
Listeners present if any:
(e.g. family, servants, friends, workmates)
n/a
Additional comments: n/a

 

Text Being Read:

Author: Samuel Richardson
Title: Clarissa
Genre: Fiction
Form of Text: Print: Book
Publication details: London, 1747
Provenance: owned

 

Source Information:

Record ID: 8581  
Source - Print  
  Author: Fanny Burney
  Editor: Betty Rizzo
  Title: The Early Journals and Letters of Fanny Burney
  Place of Publication: Oxford: Clarendon Press
  Date of Publication: 2003
  Vol: IV
  Page: 45-46
  Additional comments: Letter from Fanny Burney to Susanna Elizabeth Burney dated 9-20 April [1780], from Bath.

Citation: Fanny Burney, Betty Rizzo (ed.), The Early Journals and Letters of Fanny Burney (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2003), IV, p. 45-46, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/reading/recorddetails2.php?id=8581, accessed: 25 April 2024

Additional comments:

Burney refers to Mrs Sinclair, the brothel keeper in Richardson's 'Clarissa'. Her familiar allusion suggests familiarity with Richardson's text.

 

 

Reading Experience Database version 2.0.  Page updated: 27th Apr 2016  3:15pm (GMT)