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

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 
 
 
 

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Anon

  

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anon : Lines On The Death Of A General Officer In The East Indies

'lines on the death of a general officer in the east indies / ladies monthly museum' 'the muffled drums dull moan /... [transcription of poem]

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Mary Groom      Print: Serial / periodical

  

[Italian deputies] Anon : [address to Buonaparte]

William Wordsworth to Thomas De Quincey, regarding editing of The Convention of Cintra: 'I have alluded to the blasphemous address to Buonaparte made by some Italian deputies, which you remember we read at Grasmere some time ago, and his answer; I should like to have referred to the very words in the Appendix ... If ... you could find it in the file of Couriers at the office, I should exceedingly like such parts as you might approve of ... to be inserted ... '

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: William Wordsworth and Thomas De Quincey     Print: Serial / periodical

  

anon [working people] : ["half-penny Ballads"]

William Wordsworth discusses reading habits of the local labouring classes in letter to Francis Wrangham, 5 June 1808: '... I find, among the people I am speaking of, half-penny Ballads, and penny and two-penny histories, in great abundance; these are often bought as charitable tributes to the poor Persons who hawk them about (and it is the best way of procuring them); they are frequently stitched together in tolerably thick volumes, and such I have read; some of the contents, though not often religious, very good; others objectionable, either for the superstition in them (such as prophecies, fortune-telling, etc.) or more frequently for indelicacy.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: William Wordsworth      Print: Book

  

anon : [penny dreadfuls]

Statement of boy to London society, aim of which to rescue juvenile criminals, demonstrating pernicious influence of penny dreadfuls: "Bill couldn't read a bit, but he knowed boys that could, and he used to hear 'em reading about Knights of the Road, and Claude Duval and Skeleton Crews, till I suppose his head got regler stuffed with it. He never had no money to buy a pen'orth when it came out, so he used to lay wait for me, carrying my younger sister over his shoulder, when I came out of school at dinner time, and gammon me over to come along with him to a shop on the corner of Rosamond street in Clerkenwell, where there used to be a whole lot of the penny numbers in the window. They was all of a row, Wildfire Jack, the Boy Highwayman, Dick Turpin, and ever so many others -just the first page, don't you know, and the picture. Well, I liked it too, and I used to go along o' Bill and read to him all the reading on the front page and look at the pictures until -'specially on Mondays when there was altogether a new lot -Bill would always get so worked up with the aggravatin' little bits, which always left off where you wanted to turn over and see what was on the next leaf..."

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Charley      Print: Serial / periodical, penny dreadful

  

[A Westmorland Inhabitant and Freeholder] Anon : unknown

William Wordsworth to Viscount Lowther, 31 December 1819: 'In the last Kendal Chronicle appeared a most malignant misrepresentation of the words you used upon the searching for arms Bill ... I was requested to animadvert upon this Letter, which indeed I had felt some disposition to do when I first read it.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: William Wordsworth      Print: Newspaper

  

anon : Eclectic Review

Recorded in Joseph Farington's diary, '[On 21 May] Sir George [Beaumont] mentioned the high encomiums for Wordsworth's "Excursion" in the Eclectic Review. Wordsworth had seen it, and could not but be pleased with the sentiments expressed in it."'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: William Wordsworth      Print: Serial / periodical

  

anon : [Recipe for croup medicine]

'The Wordsworths were reading the Morning Chronicle during the 1800s. It was the source of ... the recipe for croup medicine ... entered in the Commonplace Book.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Wordsworth Family     Print: Newspaper

  

anon : Courier

'Writing to Mary Monkhouse from Allan Bank on 19 April 1809, S[ara] H[utchinson] remarked that she had seen a churn "advertized in the Courier yesterday". She refers to the advertisement on the front page of the Courier for 13 April [which also appeared on 5 April] ... '

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Sara Hutchinson      Print: Advertisement, NewspaperManuscript: Unknown

  

anon : [newspaper]

Byron to John Hanson, [? November 1799]: 'I congratulate you on Capt. Hanson's being appointed commander of the Brazen sloop of war ... The manner I knew that Capt. Hanson was appointed Commander of the ship before mentioned was this[.] I saw it in the public paper.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: George Gordon, Lord Byron      Print: Newspaper

  

anon : Morning Post

Byron to Augusta Byron, 25 April 1805: 'You say you are sick of the Installation [of seven Knights of the Garter at Windsor], and that Ld. C[arlisle] was not present; I however saw his name in the Morning Post, as one of the Knights Companions....'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: George Gordon Lord Byron      Print: Newspaper

  

anon : [morning newspaper]

Byron to the Earl of Clare, 20 August 1807: 'I hope this Letter will find you safe, I saw in a Morning paper, a long account of Robbery &c. &c. committed on the persons of sundry Majors, Colonels, & Esquires, passing from Lady Clare's to Limerick ... '

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: George Gordon, Lord Byron      Print: NewspaperManuscript: Letter

  

Anon : advertisement for Scott, The Lady of The Lake

Byron to Francis Hodgson, 3 October 1810: 'I have seen some old English papers up to the 15th. of May, I see the "Lady of the Lake" advertised[;] of course it is in his old ballad style, and pretty, after all Scott is the best of them.'

Unknown
Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: George Gordon Lord Byron      Print: Advertisement, Newspaper

  

anon : 

Byron to John Murray, acknowledging receipt of parcel of books and letters from Christian well-wishers, 14 September 1812, including Granville Penn, "The Bioscope, or Dial of Life Explained": ;The "Bioscope" contained an M.S.S. copy of very excellent verses, from whom I know not, but evidently the composition of some one in the habit of writing & of writing well, I do not know if he be ye. author of the "Bioscope" which accompanied them, but whoevever he is if you can discover hiim, thank him from me most heartily.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: George Gordon Lord Byron      Manuscript: Unknown

  

anon : advertisement for William Wadd, Practical Observations on the best mode of curing Strictures...

Byron to John Murray, 12 June 1813: 'In yesterday's paper immediately under an advertisement on "Strictures in the Urethra" I see most appropriately consequent - a poem with "strictures on Ld. B. Mr. Southey and others" ...'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: George Gordon, Lord Byron      Print: Advertisement, Newspaper

  

anon : advertisement for Modern Poets; a Dialogue in Verse, containing some Strictures on the Poetry of Lord Byron, Mr. Southey, and Others

Byron to John Murray, 12 June 1813: 'In yesterday's paper immediately under an advertisement on "Strictures in the Urethra" I see most appropriately consequent - a poem with "strictures on Ld. B. Mr. Southey and others" ...'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: George Gordon, Lord Byron      Print: Advertisement, Newspaper

  

anon : Modern Poets; a Dialogue in Verse, containing some Strictures on the Poetry of Lord Byron, Mr. Southey, and Others

Byron to John Murray, 13 June 1813: 'I have read the strictures which are just enough - & not grossly abusive - in very fair couplets ... '

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: George Gordon, Lord Byron      Print: Book

  

anon : [inscription on rock]

Byron to Augusta Leigh, 22 September 1816 ("Alpine Journal"): 'Passed a rock -- inscription -- 2 brothers -- one murdered the other ...'

Unknown
Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: George Gordon Lord Byron      Manuscript: inscription

  

anon : review of Goethe, Aus meinem Leben, Dichtung und Wahrheit

Byron to John Murray, 5 October 1816: 'I have read the last E[dinburgh] R[eview] they are very severe on the Germans -- and their idol Goethe -- I have also read Wedderburne Webster -- and Ilderim -- and the Pamphleteer. -- --'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: George Gordon Lord Byron      Print: Serial / periodicalManuscript: Unknown

  

Anon. : Homer Travestie; Being a new translation of that great poet (1720) OR A Burlesque Translation of Homer (3rd edn of same piece, 1770)

Byron's Ravenna Journal (4 January-27 February 1821), 11 January 1821, on visit to plain of Troy in 1810: ' ... I read "Homer Travestied" (the first twelve books), because [John Cam] Hobhouse and others bored me with their learned localities, and I love quizzing.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: George Gordon Lord Byron      Print: Book

  

[N. N. A.] anon : [private letter]

Byron to Thomas Moore, 5 July 1821: 'I have had a curious letter to-day from a girl in England ... It is signed simply N. N. A. ... She simply says that she is dying, and that as I had contributed so highly to her existing pleasure, she thought that she might say so ...'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: George Gordon Lord Byron      Manuscript: Letter

  

Anon : Arabian Nights

'[Edgar Wallace recalled] the teacher read aloud "The Arabian Nights". "The colour and beauty of the East stole through the foggy windows of Reddin's Road School. Here was a magic carpet indeed that transported forty none too cleanly little boys into the palace of the Caliphs, through the spicy bazaars of Bagdad, hand in hand with the king of kings".'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Edward Wallace      Print: Book

  

anon : The Rubiyat of Omar Khayyam

[analysis of a female respondent in Arnold Freeman's 1918 Sheffield Survey] 'Machinist in a shell factory, age twenty-four... Has read Shakespeare, Burns, Keats, Scott, Tennyson, Dickens, Vanity Fair, The Rubiyat of Omar Khayyam, Ella Wheeler Wilcox, biography and history'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: questionaire respondent      Print: Book

  

[anon] : Aristotle's Masterpiece

'[according to Stan Dickens]"There was one book that we all thought was sensational" - Aristotle's Masterpiece. "At last we understood what was meant when, during Scripture lessons, reference was made to 'the mother's womb'".'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Stan Dickens      Print: Book

  

[anon] : Aristotle's Masterpiece

'The girls at the hat and cap factory where [Mary Bertenshaw] worked would huddle round at dinner to read Aristotle's Masterpiece over general giggles: "It contained explicit pictures of the developent of a foetus; in turn we read out passages. This went on until our boss Abe interrupted us. We felt so ashamed and from then on kept even further away from the VD clinic and became very dubious about the male sex'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Mary Bertenshaw      Print: Book

  

anon : A Penny Panorama of the Lord Mayor's Show

The Lord Mayor's Show. 'The boys always went ... They always brought home for me a little book, that opened out to nearly a yard of coloured pictures, displaying all the features of the Show. This was called 'A Penny Panorama of the Lord Mayor's Show', and the name pleased me so much that for days afterwards I would go about the house pretending to be a hawker, crying: "Buy my Pamorama, my penny Panorama, My penny Panorama of the Lord Mayor's Show."'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: M.V, Hughes      Print: Book

  

anon : Land and Water

'One enthusiastic reader of "Land and Water" was the poet James Elroy Flecker, who, in the process of dying in a Swiss sanatorium, requested his parents to take out a subscription to the paper for him.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: James Elroy Flecker      Print: Serial / periodical

  

Anon : Charter of Virginia Assembly

At meeting of new representative assembly for colony of Virginia in 1619, 'The man appointed speaker, John Pory, a veteran of the House of Commons, began the meeting by reading aloud "the great charter or commission of privileges" that sanctioned the convening of the assembly.'

Unknown
Century: 1600-1699     Reader/Listener/Group: John Pory      

  

anon : Middle High German love-lyric

' ... E. Terry, at Newnham College, Cambridge in 1902, recalls being coached in Middle High German Lyrics by a Dr. Breul: they came to "a love-song that I thought particularly charming ... but Dr. Breul turned the page ... and said, 'Er ist nicht erbaulich' (not edifying)' ..."'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: E. Terry      Print: Book

  

anon : Middle High German love-lyric

' ... E. Terry, at Newnham College, Cambridge in 1902, recalls being coached in Middle High German Lyrics by a Dr. Breul: they came to "a love-song that I thought particualrly charming ... but Dr. Breul turned the page ... and said, 'Er ist nicht erbaulich' (not edifying)" ..."'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Breul      Print: Book

  

anon : The Times (extracts)

'... Vera Brittain, attending her aunt's school in Surrey shortly before the First World War, glossed her [the aunt's] practice of allowing them to read extracts [ie cuttings] from newspapers [The Times and the Observer] ...'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Female pupils at Surrey school     Print: Newspaper

  

[Anon] [Anon] : story books

'Zoe Proctor [sic] (b. 1867) describes how, during the 1870s, when her father was governor of the County Gaol at Bury St Edmunds, she "could not gain sufficient solitude for reading my little story books and was obliged to use the only secure retreat—the long, narrow W.C."'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Zoe Procter      Print: Book

  

anon : Robin Hood

'A South Wales miner, raised in an orphanage, acknowledged that "Robin Hood was our patron saint, or ideal. We sincerely believed in robbing the rich to help the poor". (Actually he stole from an old widow's tuck shop). "Our real heroes were robbers like Jack Sheppard, Dick Turpin, and Charles Peace, whose 'Penny dreadful' biographies we knew by heart". Yet in later life, even as a Calvinistic Methodist minister, he did not condemn that genre: "It introduced me to a romantic world when pennies were scarce and libraries seemed far beyond my reach. We read the badly printed booklets in all sorts of places, even in church; they gave us glimpses of freedom, abandon, and romance, heroism and defiance of fate... As a corrective to natural law-breaking propensities, the 'penny dreadful' always ended with the punishment of crime".'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: anon      Print: Book, Serial / periodical

  

anon : Jack Sheppard

'A South Wales miner, raised in an orphanage, acknowledged that "Robin Hood was our patron saint, or ideal. We sincerely believed in robbing the rich to help the poor". (Actually he stole from an old widow's tuck shop). "Our real heroes were robbers like Jack Sheppard, Dick Turpin, and Charles Peace, whose 'Penny dreadful' biographies we knew by heart". Yet in later life, even as a Calvinistic Methodist minister, he did not condemn that genre: "It introduced me to a romantic world when pennies were scarce and libraries seemed far beyond my reach. We read the badly printed booklets in all sorts of places, even in church; they gave us glimpses of freedom, abandon, and romance, heroism and defiance of fate... As a corrective to natural law-breaking propensities, the 'penny dreadful' always ended with the punishment of crime".'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: anon      Print: Book, Serial / periodical

  

anon : Dick Turpin

'A South Wales miner, raised in an orphanage, acknowledged that "Robin Hood was our patron saint, or ideal. We sincerely believed in robbing the rich to help the poor". (Actually he stole from an old widow's tuck shop). "Our real heroes were robbers like Jack Sheppard, Dick Turpin, and Charles Peace, whose 'Penny dreadful' biographies we knew by heart". Yet in later life, even as a Calvinistic Methodist minister, he did not condemn that genre: "It introduced me to a romantic world when pennies were scarce and libraries seemed far beyond my reach. We read the badly printed booklets in all sorts of places, even in church; they gave us glimpses of freedom, abandon, and romance, heroism and defiance of fate... As a corrective to natural law-breaking propensities, the 'penny dreadful' always ended with the punishment of crime".'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: anon      Print: Book, Serial / periodical

  

anon : Charles Peace

'A South Wales miner, raised in an orphanage, acknowledged that "Robin Hood was our patron saint, or ideal. We sincerely believed in robbing the rich to help the poor". (Actually he stole from an old widow's tuck shop). "Our real heroes were robbers like Jack Sheppard, Dick Turpin, and Charles Peace, whose 'Penny dreadful' biographies we knew by heart". Yet in later life, even as a Calvinistic Methodist minister, he did not condemn that genre: "It introduced me to a romantic world when pennies were scarce and libraries seemed far beyond my reach. We read the badly printed booklets in all sorts of places, even in church; they gave us glimpses of freedom, abandon, and romance, heroism and defiance of fate... As a corrective to natural law-breaking propensities, the 'penny dreadful' always ended with the punishment of crime".'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: anon      Print: Book, Serial / periodical

  

anon : Dick Turpin

'Though miners' MP Robert Smillie surreptitiously gorged on Dick Turpin and Three Fingered Jack as a boy, they... "led to better things": by fourteen he had seen Richard III, read some of the Sonnets, discovered Burns, Scott and Dickens.'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Smillie      Print: Book, Serial / periodical

  

anon : Three Fingered Jack

'Though miners' MP Robert Smillie surreptitiously gorged on Dick Turpin and Three Fingered Jack as a boy, they... "led to better things": by fourteen he had seen RIchard III, read some of the Sonnets, discovered Burns, Scott and Dickens.'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Smillie      Print: Book, Serial / periodical

  

[anon] : The Holy War

'[Edwin] Whitlock... borrowed books from a schoolmaster and from neighbours: "Most of them would now be considered very heavy literature for a boy of fourteen or fifteen, but I didn't know that, for I had no light literature for comparison. I read most of the novels of Dickens, Scott, Lytton and Mrs Henry Wood, 'The Pilgrim's Progress' and 'The Holy War' - an illustrated guide to Biblical Palestine, 'Uncle Tom's Cabin', several bound volumes of religious magazines, 'The Adventures of a Penny', and sundry similar classics". With few books competing for his attention, he could freely concentrate on his favorite reading, "A set of twelve thick volumes of Cassell's 'History of England'".'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Edwin Whitlock      Print: Book

  

anon : The Adventures of a Penny

'[Edwin] Whitlock... borrowed books from a schoolmaster and from neighbours: "Most of them would now be considered very heavy literature for a boy of fourteen or fifteen, but I didn't know that, for I had no light literature for comparison. I read most of the novels of Dickens, Scott, Lytton and Mrs Henry Wood, 'The Pilgrim's Progress' and 'The Holy War' - an illustrated guide to Biblical Palestine, 'Uncle Tom's Cabin', several bound volumes of religious magazines, 'The Adventures of a Penny', and sundry similar classics". With few books competing for his attention, he could freely concentrate on his favorite reading, "A set of twelve thick volumes of Cassell's 'History of England'".'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Edwin Whitlock      Print: Book

  

anon : Cassell's History of England

'[Edwin] Whitlock... borrowed books from a schoolmaster and from neighbours: "Most of them would now be considered very heavy literature for a boy of fourteen or fifteen, but I didn't know that, for I had no light literature for comparison. I read most of the novels of Dickens, Scott, Lytton and Mrs Henry Wood, 'The Pilgrim's Progress' and 'The Holy War' - an illustrated guide to Biblical Palestine, 'Uncle Tom's Cabin', several bound volumes of religious magazines, The Adventures of a Penny, and sundry similar classics". With few books competing for his attention, he could freely concentrate on his favorite reading, "A set of twelve thick volumes of Cassell's 'History of England'".'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Edwin Whitlock      Print: Book

  

anon : ['twopenny bloods']

'Growing up in Clapton during the Depression, Michael Stapleton needed a signature from his father (an Irish navvy) for a public library card, "but I asked him on the wrong evening and he merely shouted at me... So I... started examining every book in the house, ransacking forgotten cupboards and the hole under the stairs. I read everything I could understand, and begged twopenny bloods quite shamelessly from the boys at school who were fortunate enough to enjoy such things. I absorbed an immense amount of useless information, but occasionally a treasure came my way and I would strain my eyes under the twenty-watt bulb which lighted our kitchen. A month-old copy of the 'Wizard' would be succeeded by a handbook for vegetarians, and this in turn would be followed by 'Jane Eyre'. 'Tarzan and the Jewels of Ophir' was no sooner finished than I was deep in volumes three and four of a history of 'The Conquest of Peru' (the rest of the set was missing). I would go from that to 'Rip van Winkle' and straight on to a tattered copy of the Hotspur".'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Michael Stapleton      Print: Book

  

anon : The Wizard

'Growing up in Clapton during the Depression, Michael Stapleton needed a signature from his father (an Irish navvy) for a public library card, "but I asked him on the wrong evening and he merely shouted at me... So I... started examining every book in the house, ransacking forgotten cupboards and the hole under the stairs. I read everything I could understand, and begged twopenny bloods quite shamelessly from the boys at school who were fortunate enough to enjoy such things. I absorbed an immense amount of useless information, but occasionally a treasure came my way and I would strain my eyes under the twenty-watt bulb which lighted our kitchen. A month-old copy of the 'Wizard' would be succeeded by a handbook for vegetarians, and this in turn would be followed by 'Jane Eyre'. 'Tarzan and the Jewels of Ophir' was no sooner finished than I was deep in volumes three and four of a history of 'The Conquest of Peru' (the rest of the set was missing). I would go from that to 'Rip van Winkle' and straight on to a tattered copy of the Hotspur".'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Michael Stapleton      Print: Serial / periodical

  

anon : [a handbook for vegetarians]

'Growing up in Clapton during the Depression, Michael Stapleton needed a signature from his father (an Irish navvy) for a public library card, "but I asked him on the wrong evening and he merely shouted at me... So I... started examining every book in the house, ransacking forgotten cupboards and the hole under the stairs. I read everything I could understand, and begged twopenny bloods quite shamelessly from the boys at school who were fortunate enough to enjoy such things. I absorbed an immense amount of useless information, but occasionally a treasure came my way and I would strain my eyes under the twenty-watt bulb which lighted our kitchen. A month-old copy of the 'Wizard' would be succeeded by a handbook for vegetarians, and this in turn would be followed by 'Jane Eyre'. 'Tarzan and the Jewels of Ophir' was no sooner finished than I was deep in volumes three and four of a history of 'The Conquest of Peru' (the rest of the set was missing). I would go from that to 'Rip van Winkle' and straight on to a tattered copy of the Hotspur".'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Michael Stapleton      Print: Book

  

anon : Report on the Corn Laws OR Address to the Two Houses

'I have lately read a report of the Corn Laws made in 1814 before the house of Commons, one witness says... It came out in evidence that most of the witnesses were land Valuers, appointed by the land Leviathans to value their estates...'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Sharp      

  

anon : Letters written by an eminent persons in the seventeenth century

'Binda gave us a satirical character of the Duke of wellington said to be written by B.Constant "un heros froid et mediocre [...]" I am quite sick of Hobhouse's book his abuse of the Bourbons is not worth answering; if it were true its unaltered violence defeats its own malignity. The publication of the Bodleian and Ashmolean letters are very amusing in three volumes.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Benjamin Newton      Print: Book

  

[anon] : The Illustrated News History of the 1914-18 War

'Derek Davies could not recall that his mother had ever read a book. His father, a die-caster in an automobile factory, read only local and sports papers and two novels a week - a Western or a detective thriller: "Yet quite unintentionally he gave me... a love of reading... He never seemed to vary the diet, he never discussed either the books he read or newspaper items, and he never urged me to read for myself... I... was soon reading everything he read. by the age of eleven or twelve I must have read a couple of hundred of his novels..." In addition to the newspapers and his father's novels, he consumed books for younger children and travel books for adults ("Tibet, I remember, was one passionate preoccupation"). He jumped from the "Wizard" and "Hotspur", which his parents considered "trash" to their twenty-two bound volumes of "The Illustrated News History of the 1914-18 War". "Undeterred by the fact that I had neither the space nor the money to embark on even the most modest layout, I consumed book after book on the building of model railways. Gradually, as I found out how to use the School Library and the Public Library, some degree of selection took place, but as nobody at school before the sixth form advised me what to read the selection remained distinctly erratic... At about fourteen... I read every word of T.E. Lawrence's 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom', although I had only the faintest glimmer of its real significance".'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Derek Davies      Print: Book

  

anon : [Verse on Lord Cateret]

'To Richard's where I stayed all afternoon ... I met mr Graham of our college formerly, and he showed me some Verses about Lord Cateret that were made in Ireland, pretty good.'

Unknown
Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: John Byrom      

  

[anon] : [ballads]

'Gifford had read only some ballads, the black-letter romance Parismus and Parismenus, some odd loose magazines of his mother's, the Bible (which he studied with his grandmother) and "The Imitation of Christ" (read to his mother on her deathbed). He then learned algebra by surreptitiously reading Fenning's textbook: his master's son owned the book and had deliberately hidden it from him'.

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: William Gifford      Print: Unknown

  

anon : Parismus and Parismenus

'Gifford had read only some ballads, the black-letter romance Parismus and Parismenus, some odd loose magazines of his mother's, the Bible (which he studied with his grandmother) and "The Imitation of Christ" (read to his mother on her deathbed). He then learned algebra by surreptitiously reading Fenning's textbook: his master's son owned the book and had deliberately hidden it from him'.

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: William Gifford      Print: Book

  

anon : [poem]

'[Patrick McGill] read virtually nothing, not even the daily papers until, working on the rail line, he happened to pick up some poetry written on a page from an exercise book. Somehow it spoke to him and he began to read "ravenously". He brought "Sartor Resartus", "Sesame and Lilies" and Montaigne's essays to work. "Les Miserables" reduced him to tears, though he found "Das Kapital" less affecting. Each payday he set aside a few shillings to buy secondhand books, which after a month's use were almost illegible with rust, grease and dirt....[eventually he] went on to become a popular novelist.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Patrick McGill      Manuscript: Sheet, sheet from an exercise book

  

anon : [Deadeye Dick stories]

'A.E. Coppard, a laundrywoman's son who grew up in dire poverty, left school at nine, ascended the ranks of clerkdom and became (at age forty) a professional author. At fourteen he was still enjoying "Deadeye Dick", by twenty he was reading Henry James...He secured a literary education at the Brighton Public Library, and as a professional runner he used prize money to buy Hardy's poems, Shakespeare, Mackail's translation of "The Odyssey", and William Morris's "The Earthly Paradise". In an undemanding job... he read on company time, though there was a row when his supervisor found "Jude the Obscure" on his desk'.

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Alfred Edgar Coppard      Print: Serial / periodical

  

anon : Dick Whittington and his Cat

'Masefield's early experience of literature came with the stories told or read to him by his nurse. The fare was what would be expected in a middle class Victorian home; even "Dick Whittington and his Cat" was introduced. Tennyson's "The Dying Swan" was one of the boy's earliest delights; and, having been taught to read before his sixth birthday, he read and committed to memory copious amounts of Longfellow, especially Hiawatha and Evangeline'.

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: John Masefield      Print: Book

  

anon : The West County Clothier

'In the even read part of a simple thing called "The West Country Clothier" and, notwithstanding the meanness of the language, I think the character of the midwife and gossips is in some measure painted in their true colours; and the thoughtlessness and extravagance of many women are in some respects justly exposed by its often terminating in the husband's ruin...'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Turner      Print: Unknown

  

anon : The History of England

'In reading "The History of England" I find that England first took that name under Egbert the 1st monarch of England after the Saxon Heptarchy, anno 801.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Turner      Print: Book

  

anon : The History of England

'Found in "The History of England" that England was first divided into counties, parishes, etc. in King Alfred's reign, about the year 890...'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Turner      Print: Book

  

anon : Medical Essays and Observations, revised and published by a society in Edinburgh

'In the even read part of the 5th volume of "Medical Essays and Observations", published at Edinburgh by a society of physicians.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Turner      Print: Book

  

Anon : Frederic le Grand

[Marginalia]: ms note, in pencil, in French, on verso of half-title, may relate to text or may refer to works by authors eg ' ...Esprit...,... La Fontaine...,... Rochefoucaut...'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Anon      Print: Book

  

anon : A Serious Address to the Public, concerning the most probable means of avoiding the dangers of innoculation

'After I came home, I read part of "The London Magazine" for October, as also a poor empty piece of tautology called "A Series Advice to the Public to Avoid the Danger of Inoculation", in which he says a physician can only know and be the proper person to perform the operation, and that a surgeon can know nothing about it.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Turner      

  

anon : Review of Henry James, Roderick Hudson

Henry James to William Dean Howells, 3 February 1876: "Why won't you tell me the name of the author of the very charming notice of Roderick Hudson in the last Atlantic, which I saw today at Galignani's?"

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Henry James      Print: Serial / periodical

  

anon : Histories of Jack the Giant Killer

'At the corner of Hanging Bridge, near Old Churchyard, was a bookshop kept by one Swindells, a printer. In the spacious windows of this shop? were exhibited numerous songs, ballads, tales, and other publications, with horrid and awful-looking woodcuts at the head; which publications, with their cuts, had a strong command of my attention. Every farthing I could scrape together was now spent in purchasing "Histories of Jack the Giant Killer", "Saint George and the Dragon", "Tom Hickathrift", "Jack and the Bean Stalk", "History of the Seven Champions", tale of "Fair Rosamond", "History of Friar Bacon", "Account of the Lancashire Witches", "The Witches of the Woodlands", and such like romances; whilst my ? collections embraced but few pieces besides "Robin Hood?s Songs", and "The Ballad of Chevy Chase". Of all these tales and ballads I was soon to master, and they formed the subjects of many a long study to me, and of many a wonder-creating story for my acquaintance both at the workhouse and elsewhere. For my part I implicitly believed them all, and when told by my father or others that they were "trash" and "nonsense", and "could not be true", I innocently enough, contrasted their probability with that of other wondrous things which I read in books that "it were a sin to disbelieve".'

Century: 1700-1799 / 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Bamford      Print: Book

  

anon : Saint George and the Dragon

'At the corner of Hanging Bridge, near Old Churchyard, was a bookshop kept by one Swindells, a printer. In the spacious windows of this shop? were exhibited numerous songs, ballads, tales, and other publications, with horrid and awful-looking woodcuts at the head; which publications, with their cuts, had a strong command of my attention. Every farthing I could scrape together was now spent in purchasing "Histories of Jack the Giant Killer", "Saint George and the Dragon", "Tom Hickathrift", "Jack and the Bean Stalk", "History of the Seven Champions", tale of "Fair Rosamond", "History of Friar Bacon", "Account of the Lancashire Witches", "The Witches of the Woodlands", and such like romances; whilst my ? collections embraced but few pieces besides "Robin Hood?s Songs", and "The Ballad of Chevy Chase". Of all these tales and ballads I was soon to master, and they formed the subjects of many a long study to me, and of many a wonder-creating story for my acquaintance both at the workhouse and elsewhere. For my part I implicitly believed them all, and when told by my father or others that they were "trash" and "nonsense", and "could not be true", I innocently enough, contrasted their probability with that of other wondrous things which I read in books that "it were a sin to disbelieve".'

Century: 1700-1799 / 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Bamford      Print: Book

  

anon : Tom Hickathrift

'At the corner of Hanging Bridge, near Old Churchyard, was a bookshop kept by one Swindells, a printer. In the spacious windows of this shop? were exhibited numerous songs, ballads, tales, and other publications, with horrid and awful-looking woodcuts at the head; which publications, with their cuts, had a strong command of my attention. Every farthing I could scrape together was now spent in purchasing "Histories of Jack the Giant Killer", "Saint George and the Dragon", "Tom Hickathrift", "Jack and the Bean Stalk", "History of the Seven Champions", tale of "Fair Rosamond", "History of Friar Bacon", "Account of the Lancashire Witches", "The Witches of the Woodlands", and such like romances; whilst my ? collections embraced but few pieces besides "Robin Hood?s Songs", and "The Ballad of Chevy Chase". Of all these tales and ballads I was soon to master, and they formed the subjects of many a long study to me, and of many a wonder-creating story for my acquaintance both at the workhouse and elsewhere. For my part I implicitly believed them all, and when told by my father or others that they were "trash" and "nonsense", and "could not be true", I innocently enough, contrasted their probability with that of other wondrous things which I read in books that "it were a sin to disbelieve".'

Century: 1700-1799 / 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Bamford      Print: Book

  

anon : Jack and the Bean Stalk

'At the corner of Hanging Bridge, near Old Churchyard, was a bookshop kept by one Swindells, a printer. In the spacious windows of this shop? were exhibited numerous songs, ballads, tales, and other publications, with horrid and awful-looking woodcuts at the head; which publications, with their cuts, had a strong command of my attention. Every farthing I could scrape together was now spent in purchasing "Histories of Jack the Giant Killer", "Saint George and the Dragon", "Tom Hickathrift", "Jack and the Bean Stalk", "History of the Seven Champions", tale of "Fair Rosamond", "History of Friar Bacon", "Account of the Lancashire Witches", "The Witches of the Woodlands", and such like romances; whilst my ? collections embraced but few pieces besides "Robin Hood?s Songs", and "The Ballad of Chevy Chase". Of all these tales and ballads I was soon to master, and they formed the subjects of many a long study to me, and of many a wonder-creating story for my acquaintance both at the workhouse and elsewhere. For my part I implicitly believed them all, and when told by my father or others that they were "trash" and "nonsense", and "could not be true", I innocently enough, contrasted their probability with that of other wondrous things which I read in books that "it were a sin to disbelieve".'

Century: 1700-1799 / 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Bamford      Print: Book

  

anon : History of the Seven Champions

'At the corner of Hanging Bridge, near Old Churchyard, was a bookshop kept by one Swindells, a printer. In the spacious windows of this shop? were exhibited numerous songs, ballads, tales, and other publications, with horrid and awful-looking woodcuts at the head; which publications, with their cuts, had a strong command of my attention. Every farthing I could scrape together was now spent in purchasing "Histories of Jack the Giant Killer", "Saint George and the Dragon", "Tom Hickathrift", "Jack and the Bean Stalk", "History of the Seven Champions", tale of "Fair Rosamond", "History of Friar Bacon", "Account of the Lancashire Witches", "The Witches of the Woodlands", and such like romances; whilst my ? collections embraced but few pieces besides "Robin Hood?s Songs", and "The Ballad of Chevy Chase". Of all these tales and ballads I was soon to master, and they formed the subjects of many a long study to me, and of many a wonder-creating story for my acquaintance both at the workhouse and elsewhere. For my part I implicitly believed them all, and when told by my father or others that they were "trash" and "nonsense", and "could not be true", I innocently enough, contrasted their probability with that of other wondrous things which I read in books that "it were a sin to disbelieve".'

Century: 1700-1799 / 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Bamford      Print: Book

  

anon : Fair Rosamond

'At the corner of Hanging Bridge, near Old Churchyard, was a bookshop kept by one Swindells, a printer. In the spacious windows of this shop? were exhibited numerous songs, ballads, tales, and other publications, with horrid and awful-looking woodcuts at the head; which publications, with their cuts, had a strong command of my attention. Every farthing I could scrape together was now spent in purchasing "Histories of Jack the Giant Killer", "Saint George and the Dragon", "Tom Hickathrift", "Jack and the Bean Stalk", "History of the Seven Champions", tale of "Fair Rosamond", "History of Friar Bacon", "Account of the Lancashire Witches", "The Witches of the Woodlands", and such like romances; whilst my ? collections embraced but few pieces besides "Robin Hood?s Songs", and "The Ballad of Chevy Chase". Of all these tales and ballads I was soon to master, and they formed the subjects of many a long study to me, and of many a wonder-creating story for my acquaintance both at the workhouse and elsewhere. For my part I implicitly believed them all, and when told by my father or others that they were "trash" and "nonsense", and "could not be true", I innocently enough, contrasted their probability with that of other wondrous things which I read in books that "it were a sin to disbelieve".'

Century: 1700-1799 / 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Bamford      Print: Book

  

anon : History of Friar Bacon

'At the corner of Hanging Bridge, near Old Churchyard, was a bookshop kept by one Swindells, a printer. In the spacious windows of this shop? were exhibited numerous songs, ballads, tales, and other publications, with horrid and awful-looking woodcuts at the head; which publications, with their cuts, had a strong command of my attention. Every farthing I could scrape together was now spent in purchasing "Histories of Jack the Giant Killer", "Saint George and the Dragon", ?Tom Hickathrift?, "Jack and the Bean Stalk", "History of the Seven Champions", tale of "Fair Rosamond", "History of Friar Bacon", "Account of the Lancashire Witches", "The Witches of the Woodlands", and such like romances; whilst my ? collections embraced but few pieces besides "Robin Hood?s Songs", and "The Ballad of Chevy Chase". Of all these tales and ballads I was soon to master, and they formed the subjects of many a long study to me, and of many a wonder-creating story for my acquaintance both at the workhouse and elsewhere. For my part I implicitly believed them all, and when told by my father or others that they were "trash" and "nonsense", and "could not be true", I innocently enough, contrasted their probability with that of other wondrous things which I read in books that "it were a sin to disbelieve".'

Century: 1700-1799 / 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Bamford      Print: Book

  

anon : Account of the Lancashire witches

'At the corner of Hanging Bridge, near Old Churchyard, was a bookshop kept by one Swindells, a printer. In the spacious windows of this shop? were exhibited numerous songs, ballads, tales, and other publications, with horrid and awful-looking woodcuts at the head; which publications, with their cuts, had a strong command of my attention. Every farthing I could scrape together was now spent in purchasing "Histories of Jack the Giant Killer", "Saint George and the Dragon", "Tom Hickathrift", "Jack and the Bean Stalk", "History of the Seven Champions", tale of "Fair Rosamond", "History of Friar Bacon", "Account of the Lancashire Witches", "The Witches of the Woodlands", and such like romances; whilst my ? collections embraced but few pieces besides "Robin Hood?s Songs", and "The Ballad of Chevy Chase". Of all these tales and ballads I was soon to master, and they formed the subjects of many a long study to me, and of many a wonder-creating story for my acquaintance both at the workhouse and elsewhere. For my part I implicitly believed them all, and when told by my father or others that they were "trash" and "nonsense", and "could not be true", I innocently enough, contrasted their probability with that of other wondrous things which I read in books that "it were a sin to disbelieve".'

Century: 1700-1799 / 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Bamford      Print: Book

  

anon : The witches of the woodlands

'At the corner of Hanging Bridge, near Old Churchyard, was a bookshop kept by one Swindells, a printer. In the spacious windows of this shop? were exhibited numerous songs, ballads, tales, and other publications, with horrid and awful-looking woodcuts at the head; which publications, with their cuts, had a strong command of my attention. Every farthing I could scrape together was now spent in purchasing "Histories of Jack the Giant Killer", "Saint George and the Dragon", "Tom Hickathrift", "Jack and the Bean Stalk", "History of the Seven Champions", tale of "Fair Rosamond", "History of Friar Bacon", "Account of the Lancashire Witches", "The Witches of the Woodlands", and such like romances; whilst my ? collections embraced but few pieces besides "Robin Hood?s Songs", and "The Ballad of Chevy Chase". Of all these tales and ballads I was soon to master, and they formed the subjects of many a long study to me, and of many a wonder-creating story for my acquaintance both at the workhouse and elsewhere. For my part I implicitly believed them all, and when told by my father or others that they were "trash" and "nonsense", and "could not be true", I innocently enough, contrasted their probability with that of other wondrous things which I read in books that "it were a sin to disbelieve".

Century: 1700-1799 / 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Bamford      Print: Book

  

anon : Robin Hood's Songs

'At the corner of Hanging Bridge, near Old Churchyard, was a bookshop kept by one Swindells, a printer. In the spacious windows of this shop? were exhibited numerous songs, ballads, tales, and other publications, with horrid and awful-looking woodcuts at the head; which publications, with their cuts, had a strong command of my attention. Every farthing I could scrape together was now spent in purchasing "Histories of Jack the Giant Killer", "Saint George and the Dragon", "Tom Hickathrift", "Jack and the Bean Stalk", "History of the Seven Champions", tale of "Fair Rosamond", "History of Friar Bacon", "Account of the Lancashire Witches", "The Witches of the Woodlands", and such like romances; whilst my ? collections embraced but few pieces besides "Robin Hood?s Songs", and "The Ballad of Chevy Chase". Of all these tales and ballads I was soon to master, and they formed the subjects of many a long study to me, and of many a wonder-creating story for my acquaintance both at the workhouse and elsewhere. For my part I implicitly believed them all, and when told by my father or others that they were "trash" and "nonsense", and "could not be true", I innocently enough, contrasted their probability with that of other wondrous things which I read in books that "it were a sin to disbelieve".'

Century: 1700-1799 / 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Bamford      Print: Book, Broadsheet

  

anon : The Ballad of Chevy Chase

'At the corner of Hanging Bridge, near Old Churchyard, was a bookshop kept by one Swindells, a printer. In the spacious windows of this shop? were exhibited numerous songs, ballads, tales, and other publications, with horrid and awful-looking woodcuts at the head; which publications, with their cuts, had a strong command of my attention. Every farthing I could scrape together was now spent in purchasing "Histories of Jack the Giant Killer", "Saint George and the Dragon", "Tom Hickathrift", "Jack and the Bean Stalk", "History of the Seven Champions", tale of "Fair Rosamond", "History of Friar Bacon", "Account of the Lancashire Witches", "The Witches of the Woodlands", and such like romances; whilst my ? collections embraced but few pieces besides "Robin Hood?s Songs", and "The Ballad of Chevy Chase". Of all these tales and ballads I was soon to master, and they formed the subjects of many a long study to me, and of many a wonder-creating story for my acquaintance both at the workhouse and elsewhere. For my part I implicitly believed them all, and when told by my father or others that they were "trash" and "nonsense", and "could not be true", I innocently enough, contrasted their probability with that of other wondrous things which I read in books that "it were a sin to disbelieve".'

Century: 1700-1799 / 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Bamford      Print: Book, Broadsheet

  

anon : An account of the Inquisition in Spain

'? with the exception of Bible lessons at Sunday school, all my reading was done at home, after the daily task was finished. When not strongly tempted to play I was almost certain to be reading by the summer?s twilight, or by the red embers of the winter's fire, my books being chiefly "Wesley?s Journals", "The Armenian Magazine", wherein I found "Maundrell?s Travels from Aleppo to Jerusalem", which I was very much interested by; "An account of the Inquisition in Spain", which filled me with a dislike of Popery; "The Drummer of Tedworth"; "Some account of the Disturbances at Glenluce"; "An account of the Apparition of the Laird of Cool", - and other most marvellous narratives which excited my attention, and held me pausing over the ashes until the light was either gone or I was sent to bed. I also got hold of an old superstitious doctoring book, which gave me some unexpected information relative to the human frame, and equally surprised me as to the occult powers of certain herbs and simples, when prepared under supposed planetary aspects. A copy of Cocker?s "Arithmetic" soon after set me to writing figures and casting accounts, in which I made but slow progress; and part of a small volume of "The History of England", which I found in rumaging an old meal ark, gave me the first insight into the chronicles of my native country.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Bamford      Print: Book

  

anon : The Drummer of Tedworth

'? with the exception of Bible lessons at Sunday school, all my reading was done at home, after the daily task was finished. When not strongly tempted to play I was almost certain to be reading by the summer?s twilight, or by the red embers of the winter fire, my books being chiefly "Wesley?s Journals", "The Armenian Magazine", wherein I found "Maundrell?s Travels from Aleppo to Jerusalem", which I was very much interested by; "An account of the Inquisition in Spain", which filled me with a dislike of Popery; "The Drummer of Tedworth"; "Some account of the Disturbances at Glenluce"; "An account of the Apparition of the Laird of Cool", - and other most marvellous narratives which excited my attention, and held me pausing over the ashes until the light was either gone or I was sent to bed. I also got hold of an old superstitious doctoring book, which gave me some unexpected information relative to the human frame, and equally surprised me as to the occult powers of certain herbs and simples, when prepared under supposed planetary aspects. A copy of Cocker?s "Arithmetic" soon after set me to writing figures and casting accounts, in which I made but slow progress; and part of a small volume of "The History of England", which I found in rumaging an old meal ark, gave me the first insight into the chronicles of my native country.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Bamford      Print: Unknown

  

anon : Some account of the disturbances at Glenluce

'? with the exception of Bible lessons at Sunday school, all my reading was done at home, after the daily task was finished. When not strongly tempted to play I was almost certain to be reading by the summer?s twilight, or by the red embers of the winter's five, my books being chiefly "Wesley?s Journals", "The Armenian Magazine", wherein I found "Maundrell?s Travels from Aleppo to Jerusalem", which I was very much interested by; "An account of the Inquisition in Spain", which filled me with a dislike of Popery; "The Drummer of Tedworth"; "Some account of the Disturbances at Glenluce"; "An account of the Apparition of the Laird of Cool", - and other most marvellous narratives which excited my attention, and held me pausing over the ashes until the light was either gone or I was sent to bed. I also got hold of an old superstitious doctoring book, which gave me some unexpected information relative to the human frame, and equally surprised me as to the occult powers of certain herbs and simples, when prepared under supposed planetary aspects. A copy of Cocker?s "Arithmetic" soon after set me to writing figures and casting accounts, in which I made but slow progress; and part of a small volume of "The History of England", which I found in rumaging an old meal ark, gave me the first insight into the chronicles of my native country.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Bamford      Print: Unknown

  

anon : An account of the Apparition of the Laird of Cool

'? with the exception of Bible lessons at Sunday school, all my reading was done at home, after the daily task was finished. When not strongly tempted to play I was almost certain to be reading by the summer?s twilight, or by the red embers of the winter's fire, my books being chiefly "Wesley?s Journals", "The Armenian Magazine", wherein I found "Maundrell?s Travels from Aleppo to Jerusalem", which I was very much interested by; "An account of the Inquisition in Spain", which filled me with a dislike of Popery; "The Drummer of Tedworth"; "Some account of the Disturbances at Glenluce"; "An account of the Apparition of the Laird of Cool", - and other most marvellous narratives which excited my attention, and held me pausing over the ashes until the light was either gone or I was sent to bed. I also got hold of an old superstitious doctoring book, which gave me some unexpected information relative to the human frame, and equally surprised me as to the occult powers of certain herbs and simples, when prepared under supposed planetary aspects. A copy of Cocker?s "Arithmetic" soon after set me to writing figures and casting accounts, in which I made but slow progress; and part of a small volume of "The History of England", which I found rumaging an old meal ark, gave me the first insight into the chronicles of my native country.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Bamford      Print: Unknown

  

anon : Arabian Nights

?Excepting "Pilgrim?s Progress", "Gulliver?s Travels" and the "Arabian Nights", I saw and read none of the books which entrance young minds. The religious meaning of the first, the satirical meaning of the second, and the doubtful meaning of the third were, of course, not understood. The story was the great thing ? the travels of Christian, the troubles of Gulliver, the adventures of Aladdin??

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: William Edwin Adams      Print: Book

  

anon : Reading made easy in a variety of useful lessons

'I cannot remember learning the Alphabet but when I was four years of age or there about my Godmother presented me with a new book it was the reading made easy it had/many pictures in it which I remember I was much delighted with 'this takeing [sic] my atention [sic] there was nothing Suited so well as my book and I was sone [sic] able to read it without Spelling.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Joseph Mayett      Print: Book

  

Anon : General treatise of naval trade and commerce, as founded on the laws and statutes of the realm: in which those relating to His Majesty's customs, merchants, matters of ships &c. are particularly considered and treated with due care ?

[Marginalia]: a page of ms notes on the first binding page gives nautical instructions 'The course by the Compass From Buchaness to Fair Isle is NNE or .... Dist. 32 leagues. From Fair Isle to Si[?]mbrough Head .is NE ... This is from Alexr Buchan Mr of the Shotland[?] Paket ... '

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: William Ferguson      Print: Book

  

Anon : Prospectus of a plan for the building and equipment of a frigate to be employed in sailing between London and Calcutta; touching at the Cape of Good Hope; for the conveyance of passengers only

[Marginalia]: Some blanks, left by printer, have been completed in either ink or pencil. The data entered covers numbers of crew, dates and costings. There are also copious marginal notes, connected to deleted lines of text: eg. p.25 has lines 2-9 deleted and in the margin 'It is proposed to obtain by contribution the sum of ?32000 the sum required for building & equipping the vessel; and x[ie continue with the text]'

Century: 1700-1799 / 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Anon      Print: Book

  

anon. : Arabian Nights, The

'music, "Arabian Nights", and Darwin.'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: George Eliot and G.H. Lewes     Print: Book

  

anon : Arabian Nights

'I got my [first] peep into "Robinson Crusoe" and the "Arabian Nights" at the home of an old uncle of mine. But even though these two wonderful books have been read and enjoyed by millions, I am afraid I could never thoroughly master the contents of either of them.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: William Tinsley      Print: Book

  

[author of "The Manoeuvering Mother"] anon : History of a Flirt, The

'Before I forget again?have you looked into the "History of a Flirt"? [The History of a Flirt, related by Herself ? by the author of "The Manoeuvring Mother"] The name may alarm you ? but the writer "leans to Miss Austen?s side," ? as I remember dear Dr. Mitford and yourself do - & there is some power and much truth to nature.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Barrett      Print: Book

  

anon : theatre reviews

Fanny Kemble, 21 September 1832: 'The few critiques that I have seen upon our acting have been, upon the whole, laudatory. One was sent to me from a paper called the Mirror, which pleased me very much [...] it was written with great taste and feeling, and was evidently not the produce of a common press hack'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Fanny Kemble      Print: Newspaper, Serial / periodical

  

anon : theatre review in The Mirror

Fanny Kemble, 21 September 1832: 'The few critiques that I have seen upon our acting have been, upon the whole, laudatory. One was sent to me from a paper called the Mirror, which pleased me very much [...] it was written with great taste and feeling, and was evidently not the produce of a common press hack'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Fanny Kemble      Print: Newspaper

  

Anon : [Sicilian song]

Fanny Kemble, 20 April 1846: 'My friend has given me a charming little Sicilian song, of which the following is a free translation. The pathetic and graceful idea is, however, a thousand times more appropriately clothed in the soft dialect from which I have transferred it [transcribes eight-line verse]'.

Unknown
Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Fanny Kemble      

  

anon : [superstitious doctoring book]

'? with the exception of Bible lessons at Sunday school, all my reading was done at home, after the daily task was finished. When not strongly tempted to play I was almost certain to be reading by the summer?s twilight, or by the red embers of the winter's fire, my books being chiefly "Wesley?s Journals", "The Armenian Magazine", wherein I found "Maundrell?s Travels from Aleppo to Jerusalem", which I was very much interested by; "An account of the Inquisition in Spain", which filled me with a dislike of Popery"; "The Drummer of Tedworth"; "Some account of the Disturbances at Glenluce"; "An account of the Apparition of the Laird of Cool", - and other most marvellous narratives which excited my attention, and held me pausing over the ashes until the light was either gone or I was sent to bed. I also got hold of an old superstitious doctoring book, which gave me some unexpected information relative to the human frame, and equally surprised me as to the occult powers of certain herbs and simples, when prepared under supposed planetary aspects. A copy of Cocker?s "Arithmetic" soon after set me to writing figures and casting accounts, in which I made but slow progress; and part of a small volume of "The History of England", which I found in rumaging an old meal ark, gave me the first insight into the chronicles of my native country.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Bamford      Print: Book

  

[anon] : Maria or The Vicarage

'I on Tuesday the 8th went in the afternoon to Fareham by the telegraph, where I spent the evening & slept at the Red Lion, taking with me for my amusement there & in the coach the little novel of "Maria or The Vicarage", w'ch I had seen well spoken of in a review.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: John Marsh      Print: Book

  

[Anon] : The Irish Excursion, or I fear to tell you

'On Wed'y the 24th I finish'd reading the new & popular novel of the "Irish Excursion", w'ch Mr Hayley had recommended to us...'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: John Marsh      Print: Book

  

Anon : Book of Genesis

[List of books read in 1945]: 'For Whom the Bell Tolls; Henry Brocken; Doctor Faustus; Life of the Bee; The Screwtape Letters; Modern Short Stories; Letters of People in Love; Men and Women; The Headmistress; The People's Government; The Art of Writing; Speech and Sound; Background to the Life of Christ; The House of Prayer; Eleanor in the Fifth; Adventures of Jig and Co; Rendezvous with Fear; Antony and Cleopatra; Hamlet; The Poetry of James Elroy Flecker; Escape; Hangman's Holiday; The Body Behind the Bar; Strong Poison; The Critic; Magic Lantern; Listening Valley; Emma; Dragon Seed; Crowthers of Bankdam; The Rat Trap; The Vortex; Fallen Angels; The Spanish House; O the Brave Music; The Light that Failed; Ghosts; The Antiquary; The Knightes Tale; Luria; The Best of Hazlitt; Pericles; The Rivals; Hamlet [again]; Antony and Cleopatra [again]; Knightes Tale [again]; Julius Caesar; Merchant of Venice; The Critic; The Rivals; Cymbeline; Adventures of a Young Soldier in Search of a Better World; The Nine Tailors; The Conquered; The Professor; Peter Abelard; Then They Pulled Down the Blind; The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club; Portrait of a Man with Red Hair; Winnie-the-Pooh; The House at Pooh Corner; Mrs Parkinson; Adele and Co; Frossia; Cluny Brown; Four Gardens; The World is Square; Being Met Together; Best Sporting Stories; Selected stories by Q; And Five were Foolish; Campaspe; Endimion [by Lyly]; Midas; Dr Faustus [again]; Twelfth Night; Mrs Warrent's Proffession [sic]; The Spanish Tragedy; The Jew of Malta; Galathea; Tambourlaine; Sun is my Undoing; By Greta Bridge; Utopia; England, their England; The Art of Poetry; Old Wives Tale; The Reader is Warned; Long, Long Ago; Friar Bacon & Friar Bungay; James IV of Scotland; The Handsome Langleys; The Dog Beneath the Skin; Death Comes for the Archbishop; The Island of Youth; I'll Say She Does; The Forsyte Saga; In Youth is Pleasure; On Forsyte Change; Genesis to Nehemiah.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Hilary Spalding      Print: Book

  

anon : Arabian Nights, story of the Little Hunchback

'Looked into the "Marmi" of Doni... read Saccheti and Boccaccio's capital story of Fra Cipolla - one of his few good stories - and the Little Hunchback in the Arabian Nights, which is still better. Read Nardi in the evening'.

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: George Eliot [pseud.]      Print: Book

  

anon : various scraps of writing

'My master said to me one day, he was surprized that I did not learn to write my own letters, and added, that he was sure that I could learn to do it in a very short time. ... Without any delay I set about it, by taking up pieces of paper that had any writing on them, and initiating the letters as well as I could. I employed my leisure hours in this way for near two months, after which time I wrote my own letters, in a bad hand, you may be sure; but it was plain and easy to read, which was all I cared for.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: James Lackington      Manuscript: Unknown

  

anon : various on divinity and moral philosophy

'As to the little knowledge of literature I possess, I acquired that by dint of application. In the beginning I attached myself very closely to the study of divinity and moral philosophy; so that I became tolerably acquainted with all the points controverted between the Divines.?

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: James Lackington      Print: Book

  

Anon : Ugly Duckling

[reminiscing about the Ugly Duckling, first story he remembers reading when he was 6 or so] 'When the ugly duckling at last flew away on his strong pinions, and when he met the swans and was accepted as an equal, then I felt sorrowful, agreeably sorrowful. It seemed to me nothing could undo, atone for, the grief and humiliations of the false duckling's early youth.'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Arnold Bennett      Print: Book

  

anon : The Annual Register

'Much of it [ie. 'the daily instruction I received'] consisted in the books I read by myself, and my father's discourses to me, chiefly during our walks. From 1810 to the end of 1813 we were living in Newington Green, then an almost rustic neighbourhood. My father's health required considerable and constant exercise, and he walked habitually before breakfast, generally in the green lanes towards Hornsey. In these walks I always accompanied him, and with my earliest recollections of green fields and wild flowers, is mingled that of the account I gave him daily of what I had read the day before. To the best of my remembrance, this was a voluntary rather than a prescribed exercise. I made notes on slips of paper while reading, and from these, in the morning walks, I told the story to him; for the books were chiefly histories, of which I read in this manner a great number: Robertson?s histories, Hume, Gibbon; but my greatest delight, then and for long afterwards, was Watson's Philip the Second and Third. The heroic defence of the Knights of Malta against the Turks, and of the revolted provinces of the Netherlands against Spain, excited in me an intense and lasting interest. Next to Watson, my favourite historical reading was Hooke's History of Rome. Of Greece I had seen at that time no regular history, except school abridgments and the last two or three volumes of a translation of Rollin's Ancient History, beginning with Philip of Macedon. But I read with great delight Langhorne's translation of Plutarch. In English history, beyond the time at which Hume leaves off, I remember reading Burnett's History of his Own Time, though I cared little for anything in it except the wars and battles; and the historical part of the Annual Register, from the beginning to about 1788, where the volumes my father borrowed for me from Mr Bentham left off. In these frequent talks about the books I read, he used, as opportunity offered, to give me explanations and ideas respecting civilization, government, morality, mental cultivation, which he required me afterwards to restate to him in my own words.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: John Stuart Mill      Print: Book, Serial / periodical

  

anon : newspaper

'... I took up a London paper, and the first object in it which struck my eye, was the death of Charles Lamb. I felt it as a friend of the deceased for, although I had never seen Mr Lamb, yet from our correspondence , I know the kindness of his heart the same as if I had been personally acquainted with him; and this paragraph drew forth peculiar reminiscences; and upon it I ruminated during the remainder of this day, and of many succeeding ones.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: John Cole      Print: Newspaper

  

anon. : Hebrew Migration from Egypt, The

'Read "Hebrew Migration" - an anonymous book, very well done - arguing that Mount Sinai is in Idumaea and is identical with Mount Hor'.

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: George Eliot [pseud]      Print: Book

  

anon. : Prose Edda, The

'Finished Prose Edda, etc. Akkadians. Malthus.'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: George Eliot [pseud]      Print: Book

  

anon : Review of Mary Berry, ed., Letters of Madame du Deffand

Mary Berry, Journal, 16 March 1811: 'I had heard from Lord Stafford, at Lady Spencer's the night before, that the "Scotch Review," with the criticism upon "Madame du Deffand's Letters [edited by Berry]," was out; and this morning before I got my own, Lady Donegall sent me a copy she had got early. I ought to be much content, and I am [...] Blame, or notice of faults, there is none'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Mary Berry      Print: Serial / periodical

  

anon : bills advertising houses for sale/to let

Horace Walpole to Mary Berry, 29 July 1790: 'I have most seriously been house-hunting for you. I saw two bills on doors in Montpellier-row, but neither are furnished.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Horace Walpole      Print: Advertisement, Poster

  

[anon.] : Thousand Nights and One Night, The

'By the age of ten he had gone through E.W. Lane's three-volume translation of "The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night", Scott's Waverley novels, Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass", the adventure stories of Captain Marryat, everything of Harrison Ainsworth, and other, now forgotten, works'.

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: William Somerset Maugham      Print: Book

  

anon : poem on recovery of Horace Walpole [apparently from illness]

Horace Walpole to Mary Berry, 21 April 1794: 'I have found on my table a rhapsody in verse on my recovery, so extravagant that, coupled with the post-mark [italics]Isleworth[end italics], it can come from no mortal but our neighbour whose Cupid from the top of his gazebo was drowned [goes on to provide synopsis and to transcribe various lines].'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Horace Walpole      Manuscript: Unknown

  

anon. : La Princesse de Cleves

'Absorbed as always in books, Willie read seriously in both French and German literature. His favourites in French were the "Maximes" of La Rochefoucauld, "La Princesse de Cleves" (which inspired his play "Caesar's Wife"), the tragedies of Racine, the novels of Voltaire, Stendhal's "Le Rouge et le Noir" and "La Chartreuse de Parme", Balzac's "Pere Goriot", Flaubert's "Madame Bovary", the works of Anatole France, the exotic tales of Pierre Loti and the well-crafted stories of Maupassant'.

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Somerset Maugham      Print: Book

  

Jean anon. : [tragedies]

'Absorbed as always in books, Willie read seriously in both French and German literature. His favourites in French were the "Maximes" of La Rochefoucauld, "La Princesse de Cleves" (which inspired his play "Caesar's Wife"), the tragedies of Racine, the novels of Voltaire, Stendhal's "Le Rouge et le Noir" and "La Chartreuse de Parme", Balzac's "Pere Goriot", Flaubert's "Madame Bovary", the works of Anatole France, the exotic tales of Pierre Loti and the well-crafted stories of Maupassant'.

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Somerset Maugham      Print: Book

  

anon : Howleglas

'Two days after being elected to his fellowship at Trinity Hall, Harvey [...] received from [Spenser] the copy of "Howleglas" now in the Bodleian, in which he wrote the following note, now partly obliterated: '"This Howletglasse, with Skoggin, Skelton, and L[a]zarillo, giuen me at London, of Mr. Spensar xx Decembris [15]78 on condition [that I] shoold bestowe ye reading of them oue[r] before ye first of January [imme]diatly ensuing: otherwise to forfeit unto him my Lucian jn fower uolumes. Whereupon I was ye rather jnduced to trifle away so many howers, as were jdely ouerpassed in running thorowgh ye [foresai]d foolish bookes: wherein methoug[ht] not all fower togither seemed comparable for s[utt]le and crafty feates with Jon Miller, whose witty shiftes, & practises ar reported amongst Skeltons Tales.'

Century: 1500-1599     Reader/Listener/Group: Gabriel Harvey      Print: Book

  

anon : Broadsheet listing merchandise (including pharmaceuticals) of John Hester

'One of [Gabriel] Harvey's leisure time interests in London at this time [1580s] is suggested by an interesting broadsheet with his signature dated "1588", some manuscript underlinings of various items, and brief comments. The broadsheet lists the pharmaceuticals and chemicals which can be obtained at the shop of John Hester, "practitioner in the art of Distillation"'.

Century: 1500-1599     Reader/Listener/Group: Gabriel Harvey      Print: Advertisement, Broadsheet

  

anon : Wonders of the human body

'For the benefit of my children read "Wonders of the human body" [underlined] describing and explaining by diagram the eye [underlined]. Looked over Pulley's "Etymological compendium".'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: John Cole      Print: Book

  

Anon : Curios of natural history

'Read in Sir Phillip's "Personal Tour" - curios of natural history... Read a portion of Blair on death.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: John Cole      Print: Book

  

[Anon] : [suitable readings]

'Aftn. Suitable readings & social prayers. Read a sermon by the Revd E. Butcher.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: John Cole      Print: Book

  

anon : "ribald" song about Harriet Martineau

'One day my [Harriet Martineau's] mother was distressed at finding in the "Times" a ribald song addressed to me.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Martineau      Print: Newspaper

  

Anonymous : The season of death

[Item transcribed into commonplace book]: Title = 'The season of death' Text = 'Leaves have their time to fall/ And flowers to wither at the north wind's breath/And stars to set - but all/ Thou hast all seasons for thine own, oh Death ...' (total - 5 x 4 line verses)

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

Anon : Epitaph on an Idiot

[Item transcribed into a commonplace book]: Title = 'Epitaph on an idiot'; Text = 'If innocence has its reward in heaven/ And God but little asks, where little's given/The wise Creator has for thee in store/ Great joys!-what wise man can ask more?'

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

Anon : Epitaph on a tomb in Melrose Abbey

[Transcription from a commonplace book]: Title = 'Epitaph on a tomb in Melrose Abbey'; text [4 lines] = 'The yerthe walketh on ye earthe glyttering lyke golde/ The yerthe goeth to ye yerthe sooner than it wolde/ The yerthe buildeth upon the yerthe castelles & towers/ the yerthe sayeth to the yerthe, all things are ours'

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

Anon : [Translation of an Arabic Ode]

[Transcription from a commonplace book]: [Title]'Translation of an Arabic Ode'; [text]'When mortal hands thy peace destroy/ Or strive to ease thy woes/ Will thou to man impute the joy/ To man ascribe the cause ...'[total = 3 x 4 line verses]

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

Anon : [The Ton]

[Transcription from a commonplace book]: [Title]'The Ton'; [Text] 'I ask not L ...[?] wealth or power/ A Gascoigne's face, a Pulteney's dower/ I ask not wit nor even sense/ I scorn content and innocence/The gift I ask can these forestall/ It aids, improves, implies them all/Then good or bad, or right or wrong/ Grant me ye Gods! - to be the Ton! ...' [Total = 30 lines]

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

Anon : [unknown]

[Transcription from a commonplace book]: [Untitled]; [Text] 'Farewell, oh farewell; my heart it is sair/ Farewell oh farewell; I shall see him nae mair/ Lang lang was he mine, lang lang but nae mair/ I ?. ?. , but my heart it is sair ...'[total = 10 lines]

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

Anon : Ode to the closing year

[Transcription from a commonplace book]: [Title] 'Ode to the closing year'; [Text] 'Oh why should I attempt to ring/The knell of Time in sorrowing tone / Or sadly tune my lyre to sing/ A requiem to the year that's gone? ...' [total = 24 lines of verse followed by 1.5 pp of related prose]

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Serial / periodical

  

Anon : Lines addressed to a Lady who had suffered much and long affliction

[Item transcribed into a commonplace book]: [Title] 'Lines addressed to a Lady who had suffered much and long affliction'; [Text] 'Reviewing June's perennial flight/ We mark some lovely hours/ Like stars amidst a stormy night/ Or winter blooming flowers ...; 1st In happier hours my pleasure all day/ Was to rove with the thoughtless and dance with the gay/ Through life as I sported no clouds could I see/ And the hearts that were gayest were dearest to me/ But now in affliction how chang'd is the view/ Tho' gay hearts are many sincere ones are few. 2nd Tho' some come around us to laugh and to jest/ In sickness or sorrow they shrink from the test/ ... 3rd But thou in my sorrow still faithfully came/ And tho' I am alter'd, I find you the same...' [total = 2 x 4 line verses followed by 3 x 6 lines verses labelled '1st', '2nd', '3rd']

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

Anon : [On Friendship]

[Item transcribed into a commonplace book]: [Title] 'On Friendship'; [Text] 'There are different modes of obligation and/ different avenues to our gratitude and favour - A man/may lend his countenance who will not part/ with his money...' [total = 43 lines of prose followed by three related quotes, one French, two are anonymous, the third is by "THe judicious Hooker" ie Richard Hooker?]

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

Anon : Lines on Home

[Item transcribed into a commonplace book]: Title 'Lines on Home'; [Text] 'That is not home, where day by day/ I wear the busy hours away/That is not home where lonely night/ Prepares me for the toils of light/ ...' [total = 36 lines]

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

Anon : [unknown]

[Item transcribed into a commonplace book]: [Untitled] ; [Text] 'Que fais tu la seul et reveur?/ Je m'entretiens avec moi meme;/ Ah prends garde un peril extreme/ De causes avec un flatteur'

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

Anon : The Dead and the Living [extract]

[Item transcribed into a commonplace book]: [Title] 'Genius ? From "The Dead and the Living"'; [Text] 'Oh genius thou bright emanation of the/ Divinity, thou brilliant struggler from another/ world! - daily daily doth thou present to us a striking/ exemplification that man was created in the image / of His Maker ?'; [total = 37 lines]

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

Anon : Resignation

[Item transcribed into a commonplace book]: [Title] 'Resignation'; [Text] 'Be hushed each sigh whose murmering moan/ Of endless woe complains/ Be mine in patient hope alone/To hear what Heaven ordains...'; [total = 12 lines]

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

Anon : Journal of an Annuyee

[Item transcribed into a commonplace book]: [Title] 'Journal of an Annuyee' ; [Text] 'Is it sorrow which makes our experience = it is/ sorrow which teaches us to feel properly for ourselves/ and others - We must feel deeply before we can/ think rightly. It is not in the storms and tempests/ of passion, we can reflect - but afterwards ...'; [total = 10 lines]

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

Anon : [unknown]

[Item transcribed into a commonplace book]: [Untitled];[Text] 'Souls of the just! whose truth and love,/ Like light and warmth once liv'd below/ Where have ye ta'en your flight above/ Leaving life's vale in wintry woe/ ...'; [total = 2 x 8 line verses]

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

[Anon] : Matilde a novel

[Item transcribed into a commonplace book]: [Untitled]; [Text]' "La Belle France" has no more pretensions to beauty/ than the majority of her daughters. Like many of/ them she has not a single good feature in her face,/but unlike them she does not even do her best ??' [total = 18 lines]

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

[Anon] : [untitled]

[Item transcribed into a commonplace book]: [Untitled]; [Text]' Count oe'r the days whose happy flight/ Is shared with those we love/ Like stars amid a stormy night/ Alas! how few they prove ?' [total = 2 x 8 line verses]

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

[Anon] : A Highland Salute to the Queen

[Item transcribed into a commonplace book]: [Title] 'A Highland Salute to the Queen/ Air Roderigh Vich Alpine dhu, ho! Ieroe!'; [Text] 'Long life to our Queen who in beauty advances/ To the refuge of freedom, the home of the fair/ Each true Highland bosom with loyalty dances/ From Drummond to Taymouth - from ? to Blair/ ...' [total = 5 x 10 line verses]

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

[Anon] : The Star of Missions

[Item transcribed into a commonplace book]; [Title] "The Star of Missions"; [Text] "Behold the Mission Star's soul gladdening ray/ Which o'er the nations sheds a beam of day;/ While glad salvation speeds her life fraught ?/ Borne by the Gospel's herald wheels afar;/ ... " [Total = 7 x 6 line verses]

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

[Anon] : unknown

[Item transcribed into a commonplace book]; [Untitled]; [Text] "Qu'est ce qui fait le bonheur ou le malheur/ de notre vie? C'est notre caractere, c'est la/ maniere ? nous voyons les choses, /? " [Total = 17 lines]

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

[Anon] : The dead friend

[Item transcribed into a commonplace book]: [Title] 'The dead friend'; [Text] 'Not to the grave, not to the grave, my soul/ Descend to contemplate/ The form that once was dear!/ ?not on thoughts so loathly horrible/ ...'; [Total = 40 lines]

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

Anonymous : [untitled]

[Item transcribed into a commonplace book]: [Untitled]; [Text] 'Weep not, tho' lonely and wild be thy path/ And the storm may be gathering round/ There is one ! who can shield from the hurricane's wrath/ and that one! may for ever be found;/ ... (Anonymous)'; [Total = 3 x 8 line verses]

Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Magdalene Sharpe- Erskine      Print: Unknown

  

anon [A Labour MP] : article

'I was reading an article by a Labour M.P. who wants to harbour refugees. He's all wrong. Good job we haven't got dictators here.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: anon      Print: Unknown

  

anon : Internees Leaflet

'Looks at cartoon first. "Oh, quite right, you know. It is these people who - I love those two. Yes". Turns to Priestley quotation, "He's come out lately, this Priestley, hasn't he? He's a bit of a radical on the lay, isn't he?" Starts to read printed matter, but gets no farther than than first paragraph. "I expect they've got to intern them, to be on the safe side. But I think they should have some sort of a tribunal, don't you."'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: anon      

  

anon : Internees Leaflet

'Reads the front page, turns to the back, looks at the cartoon intently as if trying to understand it; then opens it and says, "What's all this?" "Have I got to read it all?" He is told it is just as he likes, so he reads about two paragraphs and then gives it up. "I quite agree with it, it's wrong to lock all these people up like that. They're useful to us I suppose."'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: anon      

  

anon : Internees Leaflet

'Reads part. "This is very interesting". Reads carefully. "Of course it was ridiculous jamming all foreigners into concentration camps. I call that a good leaflet -very interesting."'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: anon      

  

Anon : The Minstrel; or Anecdotes of Distinguished Persons in ye fifteenth century

'I took "Varieties & c" to the Library. I brought the 2nd Volume of the "Minstrel or Anecdotes of Distinguished Persons in ye 15 Century". ... I think it one of the Prettyest [sic] novels I have ever read. The first volume being lost at our Library. I got it at Lindley's Library in Church Lane. There is a vey long list of books lost. I bought 26 songs for 0 1/2.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Joseph Hunter      Print: Book

  

anon : [English Grammar]

'I rose at 5 O'clock, and going to a small plantation that overlooked the Jed I learned all I ever knew of English Grammar. At that time grammar was not taught in such of the country schools as I had attended. Of course I had to go back and open up the shop at 6 O' clock.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert White      Print: Book

  

[anon] : Guy's Expositor

'The following Saturday afternoon [father] was a bit late getting home from work; he must have gone to the second-hand bookstall in the market. ...he handed me a book that was dropping to pieces. It was thin, with a dark green back. There were about fifty pages; there had been a lot more but the others must have dropped out. All the pages were loose. It was called "Guy's Expositor". It was just lists of words, but it told you where they had come from, and how their meaning had varied through the ages so that some words, eventually, came to mean just the opposite from what they had meant long ago. I was thrilled to the marrow with it...'

Century: 1850-1899 / 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Joseph Stamper      Print: Book

  

Walter Scott [anon] : review of Emma

'I return you the Quarterly Reveiw [sic] with many Thanks. The Authoress of "Emma" has no reason I think to complain of her treatment in it - except in the total omission of Mansfield Park. - I cannot but be sorry that so clever a Man as the Reveiwer [sic] of "Emma" should consider it as unworthy of being noticed.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Jane Austen      Print: Serial / periodical

  

[anon] : A treatise of taxes and contributions

'And so went home, taking Mr Leigh with me; and after drunk a cup of wine, he went away and I to my office, there reading in Sir W Pettys book, and so home - and to bed'

Century: 1600-1699     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Pepys      Print: Book

  

anon : Poetical description of song birds

Inscribed in the book on the front free endpaper: This book belonged to my father William youngest son of John and Catherine Williams of Scorrier House in the year of our lord 1800. It was his favourite playbook when a boy, and he was particularly fond of the story of the starling, which he often quoted to me. It was given me by my mother in 1862 and was rebound in 1877. M.W. 20. Oct. 1877.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: William Williams      Print: Book

  

anon : History of Little Goody Two-shoes

Letter to her daughter-in-law Ann, dated 4th June 1818: "Little Madge (Margaret Elizabeth Haskoll) told me that she had a little brother now and she prayed for him. I told her she must pray for all our enemies. She replied that a little girl in Goody Two Shoes would not pray for her enemies.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Lydia Haskoll      Print: Book

  

anon : Preliminary lessons on the history of England

The book seems to have been used in an educational context, probably at home. Pencilled crosses, dates and slash marks in the margins and within the text at regular intervals, suggesting that Olive was learning by rote. No evidence of usage after p.35 (Reign of Henry VIII)

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Olive Heath      Print: Book

  

anon : Arabian Nights' Entertainments

Elizabeth Missing Sewell, on books lent to herself and her siblings, when children, during visits to her uncle Edwards (a barrister): 'My uncle was so particular about his books that he used to declare that when a child's finger had touched one it was spoilt. Acting upon this idea, he gave up certain books to us, when as children we stayed with him at Binstead, on condition of our never touching any others. My brothers had Glanvill's [italics]History of the Witches[end italics], and we four [Sewell girls] had a handsome edition of the [italics]Arabian Nights' Entertainments[end italics], which, being unexpurgated, was not the wisest choice that could have been made, though it gave me hours of entrancing delight at the time, and taught me to understand allusions to tales which have become part of general literature.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Sewell      Print: Book

  

anon : slip of paper printed with news of declaration of war [?between France and Prussia]

From Elizabeth Missing Sewell's Journal, 15 July 1870, from Eisenach: 'War [apparently the Franco-Prussian war] is actually declared. We heard the news this morning as we were at breakfast in the [italics]Salle[end italics]. Some one (I think it was the master of the hotel) came up and laid before me a printed slip of paper. I had just been talking about railway trains, and thought this had something to do with them. When I read it you can understand the surprise.'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Missing Sewell      Print: loose slip of paper

  

anon : [review in the Quarterly Review of Scott's Guy Mannering]

'"Guy Mannering" is reviewed in the same number [ of the Quarterly Review]. Tho' we have still more reason to question their competency here - you will probably admit that "the Dutch boors of Mannering tho' never so well painted, must cause a different class of sensations from those excited by the Salvator banditti of Waverl[e]y." - Yet the only extract they give (the departure of the gypsies, and Meg Merrilies' address to Ellangowan) is very much in the Salvator stile.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Carlyle      Print: Serial / periodical

  

anon. : [review in the Quarterly Review Byron's Lara]

'I am glad you saw Lara; and am indebted for your account of it. I read the review of it in the Quarterly review?some time ago.' [there follow Carlyle's observations on Mitchell's account of the plot; apparently Carlyle has not yet read the poem]

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Carlyle      Print: Serial / periodical

  

[anon] : The Scholar Armed

I console myself with Doddridge's Expositor and "The Scholar Armed", to say nothing of a very popular book called "The Dissenter tripped up".'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Sydney Smith      

  

Daniel Owen-Madden [published anon.] : Ireland and its Rulers Since 1829

'I think "Ireland and its Leaders" worth reading and beg of you to tell me who wrote it if you happen to know, for you though you call yourself solitary live much more in the world than I do while I am in the Country'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Sydney Smith      Print: Book

  

anon : Belfast Town & County Almanack

'I have looked into the Belfast Town and Country Almanack - and consulted several cunning men upon the subject - and from all quartrs, I collect - that the moon will be full about one of the clock on the morning of Thursday the 9th inst.-'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Carlyle      Print: Unknown

  

anon : [novel]

'When we arrived at Turin, we had no hope of being present at a sitting of Parliament, but our Sicilian friend [a friend of Cavour and acquaintance of Garibaldi, previously encountered by Sewell in a railway carriage], who had promised to call upon us, came [...] to bring us tickets of admission for Monday [...] He was as voluble and excited as before, and produced a novel which he had lately written, and which he begged us to accept. A most remarkable production it was, as I found when I read it! ___ the Pope, Antonelli, and Lamorciere, being brought in by name, and made to take part in a plot of atrocious and not very readable wickedness.'

Unknown
Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Missing Sewell      

  

William Pitt Scargill [anon.] : Elizabeth Evanshaw

'I have received from you within these few months some very polite and liberal presents of new publications ; and though I was sorry you put yourself to any expense on my account, yet I was flattered by this mark of respect and good-will from gentlemen to whom I am personally unknown. I am quite sure, however, that you overlooked the purpose and tendency of a work called Elizabeth Evanshaw, or that you would not have sent it to a clergyman of the Established Church, or indeed to a clergyman of any church. [Smith then rebukes the publishers at length for producing irreligious books, including a translation of Voltaire, before going on to say that, nevertheless] I shall read all the works and tell you my opinion of them from time to time. I was very much pleased with the "Two Months in Ireland", but did not read the poetical part; the prosaic division of the work is very good'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Sydney Smith      Print: Book

  

[anon.] : Three Months in Ireland. By an English Protestant

'I have received from you within these few months some very polite and liberal presents of new publications ; and though I was sorry you put yourself to any expense on my account, yet I was flattered by this mark of respect and good-will from gentlemen to whom I am personally unknown. I am quite sure, however, that you overlooked the purpose and tendency of a work called Elizabeth Evanshaw, or that you would not have sent it to a clergyman of the Established Church, or indeed to a clergyman of any church. [Smith then rebukes the publishers at length for producing irreligious books, including a translation of Voltaire, before going on to say that, nevertheless] I shall read all the works and tell you my opinion of them from time to time. I was very much pleased with the "Two Months in Ireland", but did not read the poetical part; the prosaic division of the work is very good'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Sydney Smith      Print: Book

  

[anon.] : Memoirs of Lady Hamilton; With Illustrative Anecdotes of Many of her Friends and Distinguished Contemporaries

[Mary Shelley's Reading List for 1815. Only those titles not mentioned in journal entries are given separate database entries. xs denote books also read by Percy Shelley] 'Posthumous Works. 3. Sorrows of Werter Don Roderick - by Southey Gibbons Decline & fall. x Paradise Regained x Gibbons Life and Letters - 1st edition 2 x Lara New Arabian Nights 3 Corinna Fall of the Jesuits Rinaldo Rinaldini Fo[n]tenelle's Plurality of the Worlds Hermsprong Le diable boiteux Man as he is. Rokeby. Ovid's Meamo[r]phoses in Latin x Wordsworth's Poems x Spenser's Fairy Queen x Life of the Philipps x Fox's History of James II The Reflector Wieland. Fleetwood Don Carlos x Peter Wilkins Rousseau's Confessions. x Espriella's Letters from England Lenora - a poem Emile x Milton's Paradise Lost X Life of Lady Hamilton De l'Alemagne - by Made de Stael 3 vols. of Barruel x Caliph Vathek Nouvelle Heloise x Kotzebue's account of his banishment to Siberia. Waverly Clarissa Harlowe Robertson's Hist. of america x Virgil xTale of Tub. x Milton's speech on Unlicensed printing x Curse of Kehama x Madoc La Bible Expliquee Lives of Abelard and Heloise The New Testament Coleridge's Poems. 1st vol. Syteme de la Nature x Castle of Indolence Chattertons Poems. x Paradise Regained Don Carlos. x Lycidas. x St Leon Shakespeare's Play. Part of which Shelley reads aloud Burkes account of civil society x Excursion Pope's Homer's Illiad x Sallust Micromegas x Life of Chauser Canterbury Tales Peruvian letters. Voyages round the World Pluarch's lives. x 2 vols of Gibbon Ormond Hugh Trevor x Labaume's Hist. of the Russian War Lewis's tales Castle of Udolpho Guy Mannering Charles XII by Voltaire Tales of the East'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Mary Godwin      

  

Robert Southey [anon.] : Letters from England; by Don Manuel Alvarez Espriella . . . Translated from the Spanish

[Mary Shelley's Reading List for 1815. Only those titles not mentioned in journal entries are given separate database entries. xs denote books also read by Percy Shelley - again, only those not mentioned in journal entries are indicated separately in the database] 'Posthumous Works. 3. Sorrows of Werter Don Roderick - by Southey Gibbons Decline & fall. x Paradise Regained x Gibbons Life and Letters - 1st edition 2 x Lara New Arabian Nights 3 Corinna Fall of the Jesuits Rinaldo Rinaldini Fo[n]tenelle's Plurality of the Worlds Hermsprong Le diable boiteux Man as he is. Rokeby. Ovid's Metamo[r]phoses in Latin x Wordsworth's Poems x Spenser's Fairy Queen x Life of the Philipps x Fox's History of James II The Reflector Wieland. Fleetwood Don Carlos x Peter Wilkins Rousseau's Confessions. x Espriella's Letters from England Lenora - a poem Emile x Milton's Paradise Lost X Life of Lady Hamilton De l'Alemagne - by Made de Stael 3 vols. of Barruel x Caliph Vathek Nouvelle Heloise x Kotzebue's account of his banishment to Siberia. Waverly Clarissa Harlowe Robertson's Hist. of america x Virgil xTale of Tub. x Milton's speech on Unlicensed printing x Curse of Kehama x Madoc La Bible Expliquee Lives of Abelard and Heloise The New Testament Coleridge's Poems. 1st vol. Syteme de la Nature x Castle of Indolence Chattertons Poems. x Paradise Regained Don Carlos. x Lycidas. x St Leon Shakespeare's Play. Part of which Shelley reads aloud Burkes account of civil society x Excursion Pope's Homer's Illiad x Sallust Micromegas x Life of Chauser Canterbury Tales Peruvian letters. Voyages round the World Pluarch's lives. x 2 vols of Gibbon Ormond Hugh Trevor x Labaume's Hist. of the Russian War Lewis's tales Castle of Udolpho Guy Mannering Charles XII by Voltaire Tales of the East'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Percy Bysshe Shelley      Print: Book

  

[anon.] : Memoirs of Lady Hamilton; With Illustrative Anecdotes of Many of her Friends and Distinguished Contemporaries

[Mary Shelley's Reading List for 1815. Only those titles not mentioned in journal entries are given separate database entries. xs denote books also read by Percy Shelley - again, only those not mentioned in journal entries are indicated separately in the database] 'Posthumous Works. 3. Sorrows of Werter Don Roderick - by Southey Gibbons Decline & fall. x Paradise Regained x Gibbons Life and Letters - 1st edition 2 x Lara New Arabian Nights 3 Corinna Fall of the Jesuits Rinaldo Rinaldini Fo[n]tenelle's Plurality of the Worlds Hermsprong Le diable boiteux Man as he is. Rokeby. Ovid's Metamo[r]phoses in Latin x Wordsworth's Poems x Spenser's Fairy Queen x Life of the Philipps x Fox's History of James II The Reflector Wieland. Fleetwood Don Carlos x Peter Wilkins Rousseau's Confessions. x Espriella's Letters from England Lenora - a poem Emile x Milton's Paradise Lost X Life of Lady Hamilton De l'Alemagne - by Made de Stael 3 vols. of Barruel x Caliph Vathek Nouvelle Heloise x Kotzebue's account of his banishment to Siberia. Waverly Clarissa Harlowe Robertson's Hist. of america x Virgil xTale of Tub. x Milton's speech on Unlicensed printing x Curse of Kehama x Madoc La Bible Expliquee Lives of Abelard and Heloise The New Testament Coleridge's Poems. 1st vol. Syteme de la Nature x Castle of Indolence Chattertons Poems. x Paradise Regained Don Carlos. x Lycidas. x St Leon Shakespeare's Play. Part of which Shelley reads aloud Burkes account of civil society x Excursion Pope's Homer's Illiad x Sallust Micromegas x Life of Chauser Canterbury Tales Peruvian letters. Voyages round the World Pluarch's lives. x 2 vols of Gibbon Ormond Hugh Trevor x Labaume's Hist. of the Russian War Lewis's tales Castle of Udolpho Guy Mannering Charles XII by Voltaire Tales of the East'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Percy Bysshe Shelley      Print: Book

  

Edmund Burke [anon.] : A Vindication of Natural Society . . . In a letter to Lord ****

[Mary Shelley's Reading List for 1815. Only those titles not mentioned in journal entries are given separate database entries. xs denote books also read by Percy Shelley - again, only those not mentioned in journal entries are indicated separately in the database] 'Posthumous Works. 3. Sorrows of Werter Don Roderick - by Southey Gibbons Decline & fall. x Paradise Regained x Gibbons Life and Letters - 1st edition 2 x Lara New Arabian Nights 3 Corinna Fall of the Jesuits Rinaldo Rinaldini Fo[n]tenelle's Plurality of the Worlds Hermsprong Le diable boiteux Man as he is. Rokeby. Ovid's Metamo[r]phoses in Latin x Wordsworth's Poems x Spenser's Fairy Queen x Life of the Philipps x Fox's History of James II The Reflector Wieland. Fleetwood Don Carlos x Peter Wilkins Rousseau's Confessions. x Espriella's Letters from England Lenora - a poem Emile x Milton's Paradise Lost X Life of Lady Hamilton De l'Alemagne - by Made de Stael 3 vols. of Barruel x Caliph Vathek Nouvelle Heloise x Kotzebue's account of his banishment to Siberia. Waverly Clarissa Harlowe Robertson's Hist. of america x Virgil xTale of Tub. x Milton's speech on Unlicensed printing x Curse of Kehama x Madoc La Bible Expliquee Lives of Abelard and Heloise The New Testament Coleridge's Poems. 1st vol. Syteme de la Nature x Castle of Indolence Chattertons Poems. x Paradise Regained Don Carlos. x Lycidas. x St Leon Shakespeare's Play. Part of which Shelley reads aloud Burkes account of civil society x Excursion Pope's Homer's Illiad x Sallust Micromegas x Life of Chauser Canterbury Tales Peruvian letters. Voyages round the World Pluarch's lives. x 2 vols of Gibbon Ormond Hugh Trevor x Labaume's Hist. of the Russian War Lewis's tales Castle of Udolpho Guy Mannering Charles XII by Voltaire Tales of the East'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Percy Bysshe Shelley      Print: Book

  

Caroline Lamb (anon.) : Glenarvon

'Read Clarendon - finish the life of Holcroft - read Glenarvon in the evening'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Mary Godwin      Print: Book

  

Caroline Lamb (anon.) : Glenarvon

'Not well - read Glenarvon all day and finish it'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Mary Godwin      Print: Book

  

Maria Edgeworth (anon.) : Castle Rackrent, an Hibernian tale

'read Curt and Castle Rackrent aloud. S. finishes Castle Rackrent in the evening'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Mary Godwin      Print: Book

  

Maria Edgeworth (anon.) : Castle Rackrent, an Hibernian tale

'read Curt and Castle Rackrent aloud. S. finishes Castle Rackrent in the evening'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Percy Bysshe Shelley      Print: Book

  

[anon.] : Rhoda

'I am confined Tuesday 2nd. Read Rhoda - Pastors Fire Side - Missionary - Wild Irish Girls - The Anaconda. Glenarvon - 1st Vol Percy's Northern antiquities'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Mary Shelley      Print: Book

  

[anon (ed)] : Ancient English Drama

'read 2 plays in the ancient drama'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Mary Shelley      Print: Book

  

anon : 'Flores et Blanche-fleur'

'Sunday May [...] 2nd Rainy -- Read Floris & Fleur Blanche [sic] -- Cleomades et Clarimonde et Pierre de Provence et la Belle Maguelone -- Also 1st Chapter of Winkelmann'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Claire Clairmont      Print: Book

  

anon : 'Cleomades et Claremonde'

'Sunday May [...] 2nd Rainy -- Read Floris & Fleur Blanche [sic] -- Cleomades et Clarimonde et Pierre de Provence et la Belle Maguelone -- Also 1st Chapter of Winkelmann'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Claire Clairmont      Print: Book

  

anon : 'Pierre de Provence et la belle Maguelone, Fille du Roi de Naples'

'Sunday May [...] 2nd Rainy -- Read Floris & Fleur Blanche [sic] -- Cleomades et Clarimonde et Pierre de Provence et la Belle Maguelone -- Also 1st Chapter of Winkelmann'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Claire Clairmont      Print: Book

  

anon : I Piffari di montagna, ossia cenno estemporaneo sulla congiura del principe di Canosa, e sopra i carbonari

'Monday April 16th. [...] Read I Piffari di Montagna a pamphlet upon the Carbonari.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Claire Clairmont      

  

anon : review of Robert Southey, The Life of Wesley (1820)

'Friday June 29th. [...] Read the Quarterly. Review of Southey's Life of Wesley [notes several anecdotes given in this]'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Claire Clairmont      Print: Serial / periodical

  

anon : The Trials of Arthur Thistlewood, James Ings, John Thomas Brunt, Richard Tidd, William Davidson and Others, for High Treason ... with the Antecedent Proceedings. Taken in short-hand by William Brodie Gurney (vol. 2)

'Monday Oct. 29th. [...] The following passage is from Thistlewood's Defence 'A few hours hence and I shall be no more; but the nightly breeze which will whistle over the silent grave that shall protect me from its keenness, will bear to your restless pillow the memory of one who lived but for his country -- and died when liberty and justice had been driven from its confines by a set of wretches.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Claire Clairmont      Print: Book

  

anon : Review of Elizabeth Barrett, An Essay on Mind with Other Poems

Elizabeth Barrett to Hugh Stuart Boyd, March 1828: 'I send you three notices of my poem [An Essay on Mind] [...] They are the only ones I have [italics]seen[end italics] [...] The flat contradiction between the Eclectic Review & Literary Gazette, with respect to [italics]Akenside[end italics], will amuse you [...] I was put out of humour for at least ten minutes, by the charge of my having imitated Darwin. I never could [italics]bear[end italics] Darwin! I have tried his Botanic Garden four or five times, & never could get thro' above twenty pages!'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Barrett      Print: Serial / periodical

  

anon : Review of Elizabeth Barrett, An Essay on Mind with Other Poems

Elizabeth Barrett to Hugh Stuart Boyd, March 1828: 'I send you three notices of my poem [An Essay on Mind] [...] They are the only ones I have [italics]seen[end italics] [...] The flat contradiction between the Eclectic Review & Literary Gazette, with respect to [italics]Akenside[end italics], will amuse you [...] I was put out of humour for at least ten minutes, by the charge of my having imitated Darwin. I never could [italics]bear[end italics] Darwin! I have tried his Botanic Garden four or five times, & never could get thro' above twenty pages!'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Barrett      Print: Serial / periodical

  

anon : 'Review'

Elizabeth Barrett to Hugh Stuart Boyd, 1-3 May 1828: 'Saturday, eight o' clock. Our dinner hour was rather later than usual today [...] we have only just left the table. I find your parcel waiting for me in my room, & hear that your messenger is in eminent [sic] danger of being benighted. Therefore my quick way of reading, which you are so severe upon, has done me some service, in looking over the magazine & your letter [...] The Review is a very satisfactory one to [italics]my[end italics] vanity'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Barrett      Print: Serial / periodical

  

anon : Duty and Inclination (volume 1)

Elizabeth Barrett to Mary Russell Mitford, 14 March 1843: 'I have [italics]tried[end italics] to read "Duty and Inclination" -- I tried twice & failed. the first time I tried, it had just come out with Miss Landon's name on the title page & a laudatory introduction -- & I sent it back to the booksellers in the agony of a yawn in the middle of the first volume. A year afterwards I wanted something light to doze over, & I bethought me of "Duty of Inclination", -- & how Miss Landon cdnt surely have praised it quite for nothing, -- & how the fault of my yawning might have been in my physics rather than in "Duty['s]" imaginatives, .. & how I wd try it again. So I sent for the book and tried it for the second time. My dearest Miss Mitford, it is as nearly [italics]trash[end italics] as any book I can think of [...] It is the sort of lightness which tires you to death'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Barrett      Print: Book

  

anon : Duty and Inclination

Elizabeth Barrett to Mary Russell Mitford, 14 March 1843: 'I have [italics]tried[end italics] to read "Duty and Inclination" -- I tried twice & failed. the first time I tried, it had just come out with Miss Landon's name on the title page & a laudatory introduction -- & I sent it back to the booksellers in the agony of a yawn in the middle of the first volume. A year afterwards I wanted something light to doze over, & I bethought me of "Duty of Inclination", -- & how Miss Landon cdnt surely have praised it quite for nothing, -- & how the fault of my yawning might have been in my physics rather than in "Duty['s]" imaginatives, .. & how I wd try it again. So I sent for the book and tried it for the second time. My dearest Miss Mitford, it is as nearly [italics]trash[end italics] as any book I can think of [...] It is the sort of lightness which tires you to death'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Barrett      Print: Book

  

Anon : Review of Edward Irving's The Orations and the Arguments For Judgment To Come

'Tell me - did you write the critic [critique] on his [Edward Irving's] book, which appeared in the Sunday Times - I had not read two sentences of it till I said to myself "this is He" do not forget to tell me - I shall be disappointed if I find I have mistaken your style -'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Jane Baillie Welsh      Print: NewspaperManuscript: Letter

  

anon : advertisement/announcement on racing

15 February 1922: 'I thought to myself, as Lytton was talking, Now I will remember this & write it down in my diary tomorrow [...] "Latest Racine" he had read on the posters at Waterloo; thought it referred to Masefield; then re-read Racing.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Lytton Strachey      Print: Poster

  

anon : report of death of T. E. Lawrence

Monday 20 May 1935: 'Quentin bought an Italian paper & read of [T. E.] Lawrence's death.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Quentin Bell      Print: Newspaper

  

anon : Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine - anon. political article entitled 'The Warder'

'I love the Warder as much as I detest these radicals and the general harping spirit of the Whigs Pray is my dear friend Cunninghame the author of The Cameronians Surely he must it is so like him and so graphic'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: James Hogg      Print: Serial / periodical

  

anon : account of the Great Fire of London

Wednesday 1 January 1941: 'On Sunday night, as I was reading about the great fire, in a very accurate detailed book, London was burning. 8 of my city churches destroyed, & the Guildhall. This belongs to last year.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Virginia Woolf      Print: Book

  

anon [Religious Tract Society] : tracts

'Last summer, being in Taunton, at the house of Mr J Smith, brother to my first wife, his son brought in a parcel of those religious tracts which are published by the Religious Tract Society, and sold cheap by T. Williams, Stationer's-court, Ludgate-street, London. . . I was much pleased with an opportunity of procuring some of them. I took one of each of more than thirty sorts; and when I got home, Mrs L and I read them over together, in order to know if they were proper to be dispersed abroad, and whether they were calculated to do good to such as should read them.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: James Lackington      Print: tracts

  

anon. : Speculum humanae Salvationis

'Oct. 24. Tuesday. We visited the King's library.—I saw the "Speculum humanae Salvationis", rudely printed with ink, sometimes pale, sometimes black; part supposed to be with wooden types, and part with pages cut in boards.—The Bible, supposed to be older than that of Mentz, in 62 [1462]; it has no date, it is supposed to have been printed with wooden types.—I am in doubt; the print is large and fair, in two folios.—Another book was shewn me, supposed to have been printed with wooden types;—I think, "Durandi Sanctuarium in 58 [1458]. This is inferred from the difference of form sometimes seen in the same letter, which might be struck with different puncheons.—The regular similitude of most letters proves better that they are metal.—I saw nothing but the "Speculum" which I had not seen, I think, before'.

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Johnson      Print: Book

  

anon. : [Life of Thomson, prefixed to an edition of 'The Seasons']

'[ letter from Boswell to Johnson, responding to the latter's contention that there existed no adequate 'Life' of Thomson] Since I received your letter I have read his [Thomson's] "Life", published under the name of Cibber, but as you told me, really written by a Mr. Shiels; that written by Dr. Murdoch; one prefixed to an edition of the "Seasons", published at Edinburgh, which is compounded of both, with the addition of an anecdote of Quin's relieving Thomson from prison; the abridgement of Murdoch's account of him, in the "Biographia Britannica", and another abridgement of it in the "Biographical Dictionary", enriched with Dr. Joseph Warton's critical panegyrick on the "Seasons" in his "Essay on the Genius and Writings of Pope": from all these it appears to me that we have a pretty full account of this poet.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: James Boswell      Print: Book

  

anon : The Historie of China

'My heart was inclined to love and honour my father, especially when, by reading the history of China, I found that they bore more respect to their parents than any nation in the world'.

Century: 1600-1699     Reader/Listener/Group: Isaac Archer      Print: Book

  

Anon. : ife and Memoirs of Mr Ephraim Tristram Bates, commonly called Corporal Bates, a broken-hearted Soldier

'the famous Tristram Shandy itself is not absolutely original: for when I was at Derby in the Summer of 1774 I strolled by mere chance into a Bookseller's Shop, where however I could find nothing to tempt Curiosity but a strange Book about Corporal Bates, which I bought & read for want of better Sport, and found it to be the very Novel from which Sterne took his first Idea: the Character of Uncle Toby, the Behaviour of Coporal Trim, even the name of Tristram itself seems to be borrowed from this stupid History of Corporal Bates forsooth'.

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Hester Lynch Thrale      Print: Book

  

anon : An Hymne to our Redeemer

Transcribed in Elizabeth Lyttelton's hand, (anon) 'An Hymne to our Redeemer'. Copied in spaces between other entries in the commonplace book. Lyttelton signals the continuation of the hymn across the six pages with a series of asterisks.

Unknown
Century: 1600-1699 / 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Lyttelton      

  

anon : Distich from a monument to Elizabeth I in Allhallows the Great, Thames Street, London.

Transcribed in Elizabeth Lyttelton's hand, 'Distich from a monument to Elizabeth I in Allhallows the Great, Thames Street, London'.

Century: 1600-1699 / 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Lyttelton      Print: Book

  

anon : An Evening Hymn

Transcribed in Elizabeth Lyttelton's hand, an anonymous poem entitled 'An Euening Hymn' and beginning 'Now that the Sable mantle of the night....'

Century: 1600-1699 / 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Lyttelton      Print: Book

  

anon : Moral Dialogue

Transcribed in Elizabeth Lyttelton's hand, an anonymous 'Moral dialogue'.

Century: 1600-1699 / 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Lyttelton      Print: Book

  

anon : History of the Life of Monsieur d'Epernon

[List of books read to Sir Thomas Browne by Elizabeth Lyttelton]. Headed in commonplace book: 'The books which my daughter Elizabeth hath read unto me at nights till she read ym all out'. The books are: 'all Plutarch's Lives, folio; all the Turkish historie, folio ; all the three added of ye Turkish emperours by Rycaut, fol.; all Rycaut's books of ye Turks, fol; all Baker's Cronicle of England, fol; all ye history of China by Semedo, fol; all the history of Josephus, fol; all fox his book of Martyrs, fol; all the Travills of Olearius & Mandelilo, fol; all the Travells of Taverniere, fol; all the Travells of Petrus della valle, fol; all the Travells of Vincent Le Blanck, fol; all the Travells of Pinto, fol; all the Travells of Gage, fol; the Travells of Terre, octavo; all the Historie of the life of Monsieur d' Espernoon, fol; all the historie of naples, fol; all the historie of Venice, fol; all the historie of Queen Elizabeth by Camden, fol; all the history of Herodian, fol; all the history of Procopius, fol; all Sands his Travells, fol; all Olaus Magnus of the Northern Countrys, fol; all Camerarius his observations, fol; all Suetonius of the Twelve Caesars, fol; all appians warrs, fol; all Speed's Cronicle to the life of King James, fol; So some parts of Purchas his Relations; some hundreds of Sermons. Many other Books, Treatises, discourses of severall Kinds, which may amount unto halfe the quantety of halfe the books in folio, which are before set down.'

Century: 1600-1699 / 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Lyttelton      Print: Book

  

Anon : An Epitaph upon Felton, who was hang'd in Chains for murdering the Old Duke of Buckingham

Transcription in Elizabeth Lyttelton's hand of 'An Epitaph upon Felton, who was hang'd in Chains for murdering the Old Duke of Buckingham'.

Century: 1600-1699 / 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Lyttelton      Print: Book

  

Anon : A Turkish Prayer or Alhemdolilla

Transcription in Elizabeth Lyttelton's hand of 'A Turkish Prayer or Alhemdolilla'.

Century: 1600-1699 / 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Lyttelton      Print: Book

  

anon : Review article; and 'Husbands and Wives'.

'Look here, my fame is even more complete than I had dreamed of. Get the "Spectators" for August 5th and 12th; and you will see how the poor Spectatorists were puzzled and ("Scottice") affronted at my paper. It is charming.'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Louis Stevenson      Print: Serial / periodical

  

anon : [memorial verse]

Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, c.3 April 1792: '"A soul prepard needs no delays/ The summons come the Saint obey —/ Swift was his flight & short the road/ He closd his eyes & saw his God/ The flesh rests here till Jesus come/ And claim the treasure from the tomb." I studied this from the monument at Church & planned a paper upon Epitaps.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey      Print: monument

  

[anon.] : Journal Amoureux

'Louisa and I began this day to read French. Our book was a little light piece of French gallantry entitled 'Journal Amoureux'. She pronounced best and I translated best. Between us we did very well'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: James Boswell and Louisa     Print: Book

  

anon : Address to the major of Nottingham

Robert Southey to Charles Collins, 31 March 1793: 'On Wednesday morning about eight o clock we sallied forth. my travelling equipage consisting of my diary — writing book, pen & ink silk handkerchief & Miltons defence. We reached Woodstock to breakfast where I was delighted with reading the Nottingham address for peace...'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey      Print: Handbill

  

anon : [lines at the Hospital in Reading]

Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, 14-18 October 1793: 'I copied these four lines from the hospital at Reading {Aye whose hours exempt from sorrow flow {Behold the seat of Pain of Want & Woe {Think whilst your hands the intreated alms extend {That what to us ye give to God ye lend.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey      Print: Unknown

  

anon : ['sixpenny history of England']

Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, c 26 December 1793: 'Forgive egotism if I mention one circumstance which happened above twelve years ago. I was struck with the apparent falshood in “I believe in the holy catholic church” when my sixpenny history of England taught me I was a protestant. I mentioned it & was severely reprimanded for impiety, but the passage was never explained & I was silenced instead of convinced till Greek gave the information.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey      Print: Book

  

anon : Review of Joseph Priestley, The Present State of Europe Compared with Antient Prophecies; A Sermon, Preached at the Gravel Pit Meeting in Hackney, February 28, 1794

Robert Southey to Robert Lovell, 5-6 April 1794: 'I have not yet seen Priestleys reasons for quitting this country. from the review I collect that he compares the present state of Europe with ancient prophecies & foretells the most dismal scenes of devastation. “Oh I could prophesy” says Hotspur & so say I but to prophecy no good evil is melancholy — & good impossible, when indeed after evil. Belsham is elected Pastor in his place & by the little I know of this man he is more qualified to succeed, Joseph Priestley than the generality of dissenting preachers. he is the author of one or two very good works —thoughts on parliamentary reform & Memoirs of the house of Brunswick—Lunenburg. my knowledge of this is from the reviews.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey      Print: Serial / periodical

  

anon : Reviews of William Belsham's Remarks on the Nature and Necessity of a Parliamentary Reform (1793) and Memoirs of the Kings of Great Britain of the House of Brunswic-Lunenberg (1793).

Robert Southey to Robert Lovell, 5-6 April 1794: 'I have not yet seen Priestleys reasons for quitting this country. from the review I collect that he compares the present state of Europe with ancient prophecies & foretells the most dismal scenes of devastation. “Oh I could prophesy” says Hotspur & so say I but to prophecy no good evil is melancholy — & good impossible, when indeed after evil. Belsham is elected Pastor in his place & by the little I know of this man he is more qualified to succeed, Joseph Priestley than the generality of dissenting preachers. he is the author of one or two very good works —thoughts on parliamentary reform & Memoirs of the house of Brunswick—Lunenburg. my knowledge of this is from the reviews.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey      Print: Serial / periodical

  

H Hamer [anon] : Roasted Angels

I have read 'Roasted Angels' and I now return it. It is a very unusual and even a very remarkable play. It is full of wit and fancy and most admirably written. I should like to know who H. Hamer is. He, or she, must have been writing for quite some little time.

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Arnold Bennett      

  

anon : "alchemical receipt"

Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, c. 1-10 October 1795, 'Curious beginning of an alchemistical receipt. “In the name of God! take an urinal".'

Unknown
Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey      Print: Book

  

anon : Spanish Ballads

Robert Southey to Charles Watkin Williams Wynn, 23-27 April, 1796 'The Poetry of Spain & Portugal wants taste, & generally, feeling. I should have thought Camoens deficient in feelings if I had only read his Lusiad — but the Sonnets of Camoens are very beautiful. those given by Hayley in his notes to the Essay on Epic P. tho among the best are but a wretched specimen to the English reader. the translations are detestable — & the originals so printed as to be unintelligible. I bought some ballads in Spain in remembrance of Rio Verde — but they prove bad enough. but six months after my return I will tell you more.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey      Print: Book

  

anon : Review of Hope, An Allegorical Sketch on Recovering Slowly from Sickness

Robert Southey to Charles Watkin Williams Wynn, 16 January 1797: 'I begin to think that our opinions upon poetry are not consonant. I am no friend to the harmony with which we have been cloyed since the days of Pope. Churchill is too rough: but there is a medium, & I am on the side of Bowles versus Reviewers: who by the by are in general a set of stupid fellows.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey      Print: Serial / periodical

  

anon : Review of Hope, An Allegorical Sketch on Recovering Slowly from Sickness

Robert Southey to Charles Watkin Williams Wynn, 16 January 1797: 'I begin to think that our opinions upon poetry are not consonant. I am no friend to the harmony with which we have been cloyed since the days of Pope. Churchill is too rough: but there is a medium, & I am on the side of Bowles versus Reviewers: who by the by are in general a set of stupid fellows.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey      Print: Serial / periodical

  

anon : German Grammar

Robert Southey to John James Morgan, 6 March, 1797: 'My mornings are devoted to Law; I allow the evening for pleasanter employments & divide it between the German Grammar & [writing] Madoc. with both of which I am getting forwards. I am fond of learning languages. nothing exercises a mans ingenuity more, he sees the progress he makes, & this at once gratifies & encourages. it is my intention to learn Welsh.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey      Print: Book

  

anon : Law books

Robert Southey to Thomas Southey, 16 March, 1797: 'We have been here now nearly a month. I read much Law — & find time to write. for company I have neither leisu[re or MS torn] inclination, & therefore confine myself to a very fe[MS torn] friends.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey      Print: Book

  

anon : Palmerin of England

Robert Southey to Charles Watkin Williams Wynn, 12 September 1797: 'I much want the latter books of Amadis, subsequent to those which Tressan has abridged & prior to Amadis of Greece: you know my great attachment to the old romances. I know the Portugueze Palmerin. it has fine parts but deserves not the praise of Cervantes.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey      Print: Book

  

anon : Review of William Rough, Lorenzini di Medici

Robert Southey to Charles Watkin Williams Wynn, 22 September 1797: 'I see Roughs Lorenzino reviewed. I had not expected much.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey      Print: Serial / periodical

  

anon. : J'y suis, J'y reste

'After Lights Out, Bayley reads a poem - anonymous. "J'y suis, j'y reste" about the war in Malaya. It is good and comprehensive. I disagree with the part, which mentions rape and looting by our troops. I have never heard of rape by them, but looting - ye gods - they were past masters'

Unknown
Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Kitching      

  

anon [Trad.] : 

From the 1806-1840 Commonplace book of an unknown reader. Dated Garrow, 1823, is transcribed the traditional Scottish folk song "Chevy Chase", beginning "God prosper long our noble King/ Our lives and safeties all."

Unknown
Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: anon      

  

Anon. Traditional : A Conservative Song

From the 1806-1840 Commonplace book of an unknown reader. Transcription of 'A Conservative Song, to the tune of "There's nae luck about the House"', beginning 'How happy we, the sun and moon/ Are placed so very high...' At the end of the song is written "Essex Standard, Feb. 2 1833"

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: anon      Print: Newspaper

  

anon [Traditional] : The Old and Young Courtier

From the 1806-1840 Commonplace book of an unknown reader. 'These very pretty rhymes were written in the times of Elizabeth and James!!'. Follows a transcription of 'The Old Courtier', beginning 'An old song made by an aged fate,/ Of an old worshipful Gentleman that had a great estate...' and 'The Young Courtier', beginning 'Like a flourishing young gallant, newly come to his land'.

Unknown
Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: anon      

  

anon [Traditional] : The Old English Gentleman

From the 1806-1840 Commonplace book of an unknown reader. Transcription of 'Ballad "The old English Gentleman" sung by Mr Phillips, May 10th 1833 - at Mr Anderson's concert', and beginning 'We sing you an ancient song, which was made in ancient days...'

Unknown
Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: anon      

  

anon : Review of 'German Romance'

'This day I was in the Advocates Library seeking German Books, and I found (directed by Dr Irving) the first Article in the Monthly Review devoted to our "German Romance". The man is little better than an ass; but a well-disposed one; and never dreams that his ears are long. He calls me point-blank by the name of the city Carlisle, without apology or introduction...'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Carlyle      Print: Serial / periodical

  

anon : Dorothea Trudel

'Read an account of Dorothea Trudel's mother to my mother.'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: John Ruskin      Print: Book

  

anon : Darkness and Dawn: the peaceful birth of a new age

'Slept well, and read grand book - "Darkness and Dawn" at coffee time.'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: John Ruskin      Print: Book

  

anon : History of Fair Rosamond

'Rest in room and discovered "History of Fair Rosamond".'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: John Ruskin      Print: Book

  

anon : Stanzas Addressed to the Greeks

From the Commonplace book of Mrs Austen of Ensbury: Transcription of lines entitled ‘Stanzas Addressed to the Greeks’ [unattributed] beginning 'On, on! To the just and glorious strife! With your swords your freedom shielding; Nay, resign, if it must be so, even life; But die, at least, unyielding…’.

Unknown
Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Catherine Austen      

  

anon : Lines by a Lady at a Ball

From the Commonplace book of Mrs Austen of Ensbury: Transcription of Lines by a Lady at a Ball', beginning 'So, Sir, you really do declare, / You’ll dance with none but ladies fair...'

Unknown
Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Catherine Austen      

  

anon : Black eyes and Blue eyes

From the Commonplace book of Mrs Austen of Ensbury: Transcription of lines beginning 'Black eyes may dazzle at a ball'.

Unknown
Century: 1800-1849 / 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Catherine Austen      

  

anon. : Everyman

'The Secretary then read a paper upon English Miracle & Morality Plays. He described the Miracle Cycle at York with some illustrative readings from one or two of the earlier episodes. Then briefly traced the growth of the religious drama through the stages of its association with the Liturgy to its divorce from the Church & its elaboration by the city guilds. The development of Moralities was referred to & Mrs Unwin gave a reading from 'Everyman'.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Ursula Unwin      Print: Book

  

anon. : York Miracle Cycle

'The Secretary then read a paper upon English Miracle & Morality Plays. He described the Miracle Cycle at York with some illustrative readings from one or two of the earlier episodes. Then briefly traced the growth of the religious drama through the stages of its association with the Liturgy to its divorce from the Church & its elaboration by the city guilds. The development of Moralities was referred to & Mrs Unwin gave a reading from 'Everyman'.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Ernest E. Unwin      Print: Book

  

Anon. : Migrations

'The following miscellaneous programme was then gone through. This change in the subject was caused by the imposibility of getting cheap copies of The Dynasts. 1. Pianoforte solo. Selection from Debusy [sic] Miss Bowman Smith 2. Reading. Modern Froissart Chronicles Mrs W.H. Smith 3. Reading. Migrations. Anon. Contrib. from Punch by Alfred Rawlings 4. Recitation. In a Gondola (Browning) Miss Cole 5. Song. 2 French Bergerettes. Mrs Unwin 6. Essay. 'The Pious Atrocity' R.B. Graham 7. Reading. Wedding Presents (Punch) Mrs Reynolds 8. Song. My dear Soul. Mrs Robson 9. Reading 'How the Camel got his Hump' W.H. Smith 10. Song. The Camel's hump. E.E. Unwin 11. Reading. The Man of the Evening (A.A. Milne Punch) Miss R. Wallis 12. Song. Hebrides Galley Song. Miss Bowman Smith 13. Reading. Arms of Wipplecrack S.A. Reynolds 14. Reading. Joints in the Armour. E.V. Lucas. H.M. Wallis 15. Song-Chant Folk Song [ditto] 16. Essay. 'Bad morality & bad art' R.H. Robson 17. Song. Winter. Miss Bowman Smith 18. Essay 'Etaples & the air raids' H.R. Smith 19. Recitation. These new fangled ways. E.E. Unwin 20. Song. Goodnight. Mrs Robson'.

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Alfred Rawlings      Print: Serial / periodical

  

anon : Fascists at Olympia

'Shortly afterwards Victor Gollancz issued a pamphlet, entitled "Fascists at Olympia", which contained statements from eye-witnesses, vistims of assault, and doctors who attended the injured.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Vera Brittain      

  

[anon. member of XII Book Club] : Scandalous Affair, A

'Various anonymous essays by members of the Club were then read with the following titles and at the conclusion of the meeting whilst the authorship of some was quickly acclaimed others proved very difficult to locate. Some thoughts on Racing attributed to R. Wallis One Generation & the next or Jobson on False Freedom C.E. Stansfield Intimations of Immortality R.H. Robson The Lady of the Marsh Mrs R.B. Graham If Christianity had Won R.B. Graham The Revolt of the Innocents Geo Burrow Thoughts on the Construction of Cathedrals H.M. Wallis Revenge or Justice C Evans Five minutes Thoughts upon present Condition H.M. Wallis A Scandalous Affair [illegible symbol]'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: members of XII Book Club     Manuscript: Unknown

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'We are to make roads for the next few days. Out occasionally on work parties. Those officers not on duty all stayed in bed (valises!) and so did the men. We ate, slept, read in our valises. It was so cold outside. We had no fires, absolutely nothing, yet I really believed we enjoyed ourselves. There was practically no shelling.'

Unknown
Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Lindsay Mackay      

  

anon : The Lancashire Wedding or Darwin Moralized

[Letter, Summer 1867]

'I took the ''Lancashire Wedding or Darwin moralized'' to read in the carriage. The moral is that it is not wise to give up a pretty, poor, healthy girl you love and marry a sickly, rich, cross one you don't care for ... It is too dull to give to the [village] library...'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Emma Darwin      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'I wish you would send me the Daily Mail every other day, & also magazines (Pearsons etc) would be immensely appreciated. I see by a paper of the 18th that Whitby and Scarborough have been bombarded. The photographs in it are very similar to sights very common here.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Henry William Williamson      Print: Newspaper

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'The newspapers amuse us here immensely — we read of the Ger[mans] being driven back by our chaps — in reality he is walking away of his own free will, as slowly and as fast as he likes to.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Henry William Williamson      Print: Newspaper

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'I received on the 3rd a parcel from you with biscuits and bulls eyes, and same time books and jersey with letter. The books are very welcome. I shall enjoy reading what I read before the war, but no matter.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Henry William Williamson      Print: Book

  

Anon : One Thousand and One Nights (Arabian Nights)

'Do you know, these wet afternoons I have been reading the story of Aladdin to myself for pleasure, without a dictionary! It's not very difficult, I must confess, still it's ordinary good Arabic, not for beginners, and I find it too charming for words. Moreover, I see that I really have learnt a good deal since I came for I couldn't read just for fun to save my life. It is satisfactory, isn't it. I look forward to a time when I shall just read Arabic — like that!'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Gertrude Bell      Print: Book

  

anon : Buddhist birth stories: or Jātaka tales. The oldest collection of folk-lore extant: being the Jātakatthavannanā

'Sat on deck and read Buddhist Birth Stories and slept.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Gertrude Bell      Print: Book

  

anon : proclamation

'The evening being bright and moonlight and very still, we all went out, and walked through the whole village, where not a creature moved; — through the principal little square, in the middle of which was a sort of pillar or Town Cross on steps, and Louis read, by the light of the moon, a proclamation for collections of charities which was stuck on it. We walked on along a lane a short way, hearing nothing whatever — not a leaf moving — but the distant barking of a dog! Suddenly we heard a drum and fifes! We were greatly alarmed, fearing we had been recognized.'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Prince Louis of Hesse      Print: Broadsheet, Poster

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'Still, it is a very fine tragedy. So is the Greek play that we are doing. It is quite unlike all that stiff bombast which we are accustomed to associate with Greek tragedy. There is life and character in it.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Clive Staples Lewis      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : The Nietzschean Way

'I wonder did you notice the article on Nietzsche in last Sunday's Times Literary Supplement, which demonstrates that although we have been told to regard Nietzsche as the indirect author of this war, nothing could be farther removed from the spirit and letter of his teaching? It just shows how we can be duped by an ignorant and loud mouthed cheap press. Kirk, who knows something about N., had anticipated that article with us, and is in high glee at seeing the blunder "proclaimed on the housetops".'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Clive Staples Lewis      Print: Newspaper, Serial / periodical

  

[Anon] [Anon] : Laxdaela Saga

'Last week I got a copy of that little book of yours on Icelandic Sagas, which I found very interesting, and as a result I have now bought a translation of the "Laxdaela Saga" in the Temple Classics edition.... they are tip top and justify the boast of 'elegance' made in their advertisements.... As to the Saga itself I am very pleased with it indeed: if the brief, simple, nervous style of the translation is a good copy of the original it must be very fine. The story, tho', like most sagas, it loses unity, by being spread over two or three generations, is thoroughly interesting.... after the "Roots" a real saga is interesting. I must admit that ... the primitive type is far better than Morris's reproduction.'I

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Clive Staples Lewis      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'I have been reading nothing since Othello but a translation from the Icelandic'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Clive Staples Lewis      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : 'At the Play: "Disraeli"'

'I went to a play that would have appealed to you — "Disraeli", which you will remember to have seen reviewed in Punch's "At the play". If the real man was at all like the character in the piece he certainly must have been a prince of cards. I suppose that most of the bons mots that I heard at the Royalty are actual historic ones, preserved in his letters and so forth.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Clive Staples Lewis      Print: Serial / periodical

  

[Anon] [Anon] : 'Edgar Allan Poe'

'I hope you noticed the leader in this week's Literary Supplement — on Edgar Allan Poe? I never heard such affectation and preciosity; the man who thinks the "Raven" tawdry just because it is easily appreciated, and says that in "The choice of words Poe has touched greater heights than De Quincy" ought — well, what can we say of him?'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Clive Staples Lewis      Print: Serial / periodical

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'Besides this [i.e. Sidney's "Arcadia"] I have read nothing lately, except a foolish modern novel which I read at one sitting — or rather one lying on the sofa, this afternoon in the middle of a terrible thunderstorm. I think, that if modern novels are to be read at all, they should be taken like this, at one gulp, and then thrown away — preferably into the fire (that is if they are not in one's own edition). Not that I despise them because they are modern, but really most of them are pretty sickly with their everlasting problems.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Clive Staples Lewis      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : Beowulf

'... remember that nearly all your reading is confined to about 150 years of one particular country.... And so, if you suddenly go back to an Anglo-Saxon gleeman's lay, you come up against something absolutely different — a different world. If you are to enjoy it, you must forget your previous ideas of what a book should be and try and put yourself back in the position of the people for whom it was first made. When I was reading it I tried to imagine myself as an old Saxon thane sitting in my hall of a winter's night, with the wolves & storm outside and the old fellow singing his story. In this way you get the atmosphere of terror that runs through it — the horror of the old barbarous days when the land was all forests and when you thought that a demon might come to your house any night & carry you off. The description of Grendel stalking up from his "fen and fastness" thrilled me. Besides, I loved the simplicity of the old life it represents: it comes as a relief to get away from all complications about characters & "problems" to a time when hunting, fighting, eating, drinking & loving were all a man had to think of it. And lastly, always remember it's a translation which spoils most things.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Clive Staples Lewis      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : The High History of the Holy Graal

'As a matter of fact I am at present reading a real "old french" romance "The High History of the Holy Graal" translated in the lovely "Temple Classics". If I dared to advise you any longer -. It is absolute heaven: it is more mystic and eerie than the "Morte" & has [a] more connected plot. I think there are parts of it even you'd like.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Clive Staples Lewis      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : Gesta Romanorum

'After wandering about the place and buying a second-hand copy of the "Gesta Romanorum" (of which more anon) I took my courage in both hands and knocked up the Master of University.... The "Gesta Romanorum" ... is a collection of mediaeval tales with morals attached to them: they are very like the Arabian Nights, tho' of course the characters and setting are chivalric instead of Eastern. It is not a first class book but it only cost me 1/- and helps to while away an hour or so between serious things.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Clive Staples Lewis      Print: Book

  

Anon Anon : [unknown biography of Alfred, Lord Tennyson]

‘The other day I read a Biography of Tennyson, which says he was unhappy, even in the midst of his fame, wealth, and domestic serenity. Divine discontent! I can quite believe he never knew happiness for one moment such as I have … But as for misery, was he ever frozen alive, with dead men for comforters. Did he ever hear the moaning at the bar, not at twilight and evening bell only, but at dawn, noon, and night, eating and sleeping, walking and working, always the close moaning of the Bar; the thunder, the hissing and the whining of the Bar?’

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Wilfred Owen      Print: Book

  

Anon Anon : [sonnets]

'I am a week late in thanking you for your parcel and letter … and specially for the book of sonnets which has been constantly either in my pocket or hand. It is just the kind of thing one wants—that can be opened and closed again for five or ten minutes that may come to hand. It contains many fine ones which I had not met before: and altogether its possession is a great boon.’

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Charles Hamilton Sorley      Print: Book

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'Did not get up until 7A.M. as I lay in the bed reading ...'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: James Bennetts Williams      

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'I rec'd a letter and some newspapers from J. P. Prout with a letter enclosed from my wife. I read a good bit from the papers & then wrote this it is now time to go to bed about 8 P.M.'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: James Bennetts Williams      Print: Newspaper

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'After reading a good bit I went to bed about 10 A.M.'

Unknown
Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: James Bennetts Williams      

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'Got out of the mine about 6 A.M. had some tea & read the paper a bit & saw in the list of deaths, the death of Mary Ann wife of Lot Brewer. I think it is my old school-mistress from Trelowth, St Austell.'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: James Bennetts Williams      Print: Newspaper

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'I went in & read a good bit from the news-papers then Bob his Wife & baby came in & we stayed chatting for a good while.'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: James Bennetts Williams      Print: Newspaper

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'Got up about 7A.M. had some tea & commenced to read. I read a Christian Age & some from a book by Thos Guthrie, 'Man & the Gospel' which I enjoy very much. I then went down & read a good while to Mr Bennett who is still very sick. I did not go out very much for the day. After dinner I read to him again went to bed about 7-30.'

Unknown
Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: James Bennetts Williams      

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

' ... read some papers to the old man ...'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: James Bennetts Williams      

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'I read a good bit to the old man then came in & had my tea & off to bed about 8-30 P.M.'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: James Bennetts Williams      

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'I wrote a letter and read some news to the old man ...'

Unknown
Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: James Bennetts Williams      

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

' ... went to see the old man and read the newspaper to him ...'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: James Bennetts Williams      Print: Newspaper

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'I read some papers & then went to bed ...'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: James Bennetts Williams      Print: Newspaper

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

' ... had my dinner & read the Newspaper & boiled a pot of potatoes ...'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: James Bennetts Williams      Print: Newspaper

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'Started raining at 6.0, so returned on board. Reading & writing in gun room till 10.0, when we turned in.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Leslie Richard Romer      

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'Lunch 12.0, & afterwards went on leave, while hands washed up the decks. Had a tremendous blow out at Swiss Cafe, & purchased many items ... Went & read at room at the disposal of the Cadets at Tower's House. Returned on board at 7.45.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Leslie Richard Romer      

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'General Quarters till 10.30. Went to Navigator's cabin to write up log. When I finished I couldn't find any cadets, so went back to Navigator's cabin & eat chocolate, then went down to gun room & read.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Leslie Richard Romer      

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'Fog did not lift, so we did not begin [patrol]. Spent afternoon in writing, reading etc. Leave for Officers from 4.30-6.15. Went ashore ...'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Leslie Richard Romer      

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'Came down and had breakfast at 8.0. Divisions at 9.45 & no General Quarters but physical training from 11.15 till 12.0 ... Lunch at 12.0, & afterwards I retired to the Comforts cabin, & had a ripping hot bath. Smoked a pipe & then came up to Gun Room & read a thrilling book.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Leslie Richard Romer      Print: Book

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'Church at 10.30. Stopped a large & lusty ship at 12.0, but it turned out to be a false alarm as usual. Lunch at 12.0. I read all the afternoon, & got the PMO's gramophone during the evening.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Leslie Richard Romer      Print: Book

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'Hoped to have 1" aiming rifle practice, but after getting up ammunition & lots of fuss we cleared off to lunch. Read during the afternoon & tea at 3.30.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Leslie Richard Romer      

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'Sketched till 10.45, & then went to the Captain's Cabin, where the P.M.O. gave us a long lecture on diseases. Lunch at 12.0, & afterwards I read in the Gun Room till tea time. No history lessons.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Leslie Richard Romer      

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'... nothing much to do all morning, except for a fairly short stay at General Quarters. There was nothing for me to do at all in the afternoon, so I simply sat in the Gun Room & read.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Leslie Richard Romer      

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

' ... foul morning ... altogether rotten. I came up for breakfast to find everyone feeling sick, & nothing to eat. After some time I partook of a frugal meal, in the middle of which Control Parties was sounded off ... Frightfully thrilling. I had nothing at all to do during the afternoon so I sat in the Gun Room & read.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Leslie Richard Romer      

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'... frightfully dull ... During the afternoon I went out to the after superstructure for a time & then came down to the Gun Room & read.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Leslie Richard Romer      

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'I woke up feeling extremely bored with life ... it was a foul day, like yesterday. I did exactly the same things ... During the forenoon the sea gave signs of going down much to my disgust, as I am enjoying myself immensely as I am. We had lunch at 12.0, & I started another magazine in the afternoon. I really must remember to send home for some books.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Leslie Richard Romer      Print: Serial / periodical

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'Thou kindly asks whether I am pursuing my favourite reading. To this I must return a decided no — several books from our Book Society having come upon us suddenly, and one which I particularly wish to read, has prevented my exclusive reading on Geology.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Eliza Ellis      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'I have scarcely read anything except an occasional short pity article in some review, on looked within the pages of some book, and turned away with an oppressed heart when I recollected, that at least for the present, books are a hidden treasure beyond my reach.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Eliza Ellis      Print: Serial / periodical

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'I have scarcely read anything except an occasional short pity article in some review, on looked within the pages of some book, and turned away with an oppressed heart when I recollected, that at least for the present, books are a hidden treasure beyond my reach.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Eliza Ellis      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : 'Female Education. The Positive-the Possible'

'Do you take Chambers's Journal? The opening article I like very much, on that beautiful line from Keats, 'A thing of beauty is a joy for ever'; another of the leading articles pleased me greatly, as it so precisely coincides with my view of the question; it is on Female Education, and is really excellent and full of truth.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Eliza Ellis      Print: Serial / periodical

  

Anon Anon : [Us and the Americans]

'Just reading a book called Us and the Americans ... what they do not understand, and what they like. Our gardens impress everyone.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Vere Hodgson      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'Off parade there was little enough to do. La Thieuloye was a desolate hole, a mere hamlet with hardly a shop for miles ... Our barn was a fine roomy one and we were quite comfortable there ... leaving our rifles and bulkier equipment in our places in the barn, we pitched a sort of camp in a field or orchard at the back of the barn and mainly lived out there ... the Bachelor's Debating Society continued to be in very good form and our time off parade was a jolly one. "G.R." [unidentified] was at this time supplying us with reading matter in the shape of Sheffield Telegraph threepenny novelettes, some of which caused considerable hilarity. Billy was much amused, in his perusal of one, to find the following brilliant epigram put in the mouth of one of the characters: "Misogyny covers a multitude of past indiscretions". As "G.R." had been giving vent to certain anti-feminist sentiments lately it pleased Billy to apply this saying to him and we pulled his leg by inventing a fairly lurid, Don Juan-ish past for our friend.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Geoffrey Ratcliff Husbands      Print: Newspaper

  

Anon Anon : [poems]

'We set off early along a dry river-bed green with date palms on either bank, pursued by thousands of flies which we could not get rid off until we reached the colder climate of the plateaux [...] we halted for lunch while it was still quite early, and their beduin spread out carpets on the sandy river bed in the shade of a large rock, and placed cushions for our backs. I realized then that the Hadhramis had a better idea about travel comfort than cluttered-up safari-minded Europeans, for it was all so simple and yet so adequate. Seiyid Salim inhaled long puffs from the hubble- bubble while Seiyid Hamid read aloud an ode to a railway train from a book of poems, and so the time passed pleasantly until our lunch of rice and dried shark was ready. This was followed by green tea.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Doreen Ingrams      Print: Book, Read in Arabic

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [letters]

'When we returned to Mukalla from the East Indies there was more work than ever; the war meant a number of new regulations which had to be enforced including the censorship of letters. Every morning Muhammad Ba Matraf, the Residency interpreter, and I sat down to large batches of letters addressed to East Africa, India, Aden, or the East Indies. They were sad letters, mostly written on behalf of women whose husbands had left them penniless and to soften the heart of an errant husband they often included the footprint of a child he had perhaps never seen; but the letters were unlikely to be of interest to an enemy, though just occasionally there were remarks about local events which had to be cut out.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Doreen Ingrams      Manuscript: Letter

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [letter of introduction]

'The chief of the post, pushing his long hair out of his eyes and leaning on his gun, slowly read the address of my letter of introduction to the Governor at Alishtar. This letter was an "Open Sesame": its quite insignificant contents were luckily sealed up but the name on the envelope had already served to get me through the entanglements of the Nihavend police.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      Manuscript: Letter

  

[Anon] [Anon] : The History of Alexander

'The Squire of Bijeno was a reader. We spent the evening over the history of Alexander and over '"Memoirs of the Boxer Rising", translated into Persian from the French - a strange waif of a book that I came upon again in a wild part of Luristan, amusing the leisure hours of a tribal chief.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : Memoirs of the Boxer Rising

'The Squire of Bijeno was a reader. We spent the evening over the history of Alexander and over "Memoirs of the Boxer Rising", translated into Persian from the French - a strange waif of a book that I came upon again in a wild part of Luristan, amusing the leisure hours of a tribal chief.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [notices posted on walls]

'Rutba is the palace planted in the wilderness when Aladdin's uncle rubbed the lamp; how else can it have got there? It is 200 empty miles from anywhere. It has beds to sleep in and waiters who spontaneously think of hot water. You walk into a room and dine on salmon mayonnaise and other refinements and read notices on the walls like those of an English club house in the country. The British, returning from summer leave, are all talking shop or shootings and look nice and clean.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      Manuscript: Sheet, notices on walls

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'He had the daily paper folded under his arm with his forage cap or sidara, and his latchkey, as long and as heavy, and in fact an exact duplicate of mine, in his hand. Having climbed to my room, smoked a cigarette, drunk a cup of coffee and exchanged the news of the day, he would open the paper out upon my table and lead me, with many halts and interruptions, through the Baghdad journalist' flowers of invective, chiefly directed against our British crimes. It was the fashionable thing to be anti-British in Baghdad at the time.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      Print: Newspaper

  

[Anon] [Anon] : Life of the Prophet Muhammad

'I lie contentedly enough, and amuse myself with a book which Qasim, seeing me in pain, has brought me in his kindness. It is his most treasured possession, a life of the Prophet in big lettering on rough paper, brown-black on brown-white, with flowered borders and headlines with the name of Allah, the author's name in a lunette at the top of every page, and the number of the page in a little flowered frame of its own on the margin. It gives one pleasure to handle anything done, even by mechanical means, with so much loving care. The book itself is written guilelessly, and tells the legends of Muhammad; how Amina, his mother, bore him without weight or discomfort, and in sleep saw the prophets month by month in turn, and in the last month the Prophet Jesus - for the substance of Muhammad, a drop from the River of Paradise, had been in the bodies of all the Prophets before him, beginning with Adam.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'In the evenings, if I have no one else below, I climb upstairs to sit in comfort except for mosquitoes - enormous creatures with white rings round their legs - that infest this region. Alinur, now recovered, is by the table with a book, in a comfortable domestic atmosphere; the Archaeologist is on a terrace in the distance, with 'Time and Tide' and the 'Spectator' (very old) strewn about her. A lantern on her right hand and the moon on her left illuminate the neat blouse, and grey hair whose brushed waves still keep a faint rebellious grace of girlhood.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Elinor Wight Gardner      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : Sirat al Mutawakkiliya

'I have a copyist now - a thin-faced student in a long gown who writes out for me the manuscript of the Sultan of Qatn for which I have no time: it is six hundred pages and tells, under red and green headings, the history of sixteenth century in Yemen. It is called the Sirat al Mutawakkiliya and was written in A.D. 1600, and in it are described scraps with the Ferangi (probably the Dutch) in the Red Sea, and a mission from Yemen to Abyssinia and news too of this land. Whether it is known or not in Europe I have no means of telling, but it is good enough in itself to be worth the copying, and it is a pleasure to perpetuate learning by this slow and ancient means. It is very expensive, for every two sheets of paper cost a quarter of a dollar (4 1/2d.), apart from the scribe's time; and it is difficult too to deal with, for none of the pages are numbered.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      Manuscript: Codex, Arabic history of Yemen

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [inscriptions]

'In the evening all the boys came rushing excited to my terrace with baskets full of pots. They are rough and ugly, but they have pre-Islamic letters scratched on them, which will presumably help to date them: one has the word "mat" (he died), incised upon its edge.'

Unknown
Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      

  

Anon Anon : [unknown Arabic poems in praise of the RAF and Harold Ingrams]

'Hasan, smoking wisps of paper filled with green tobacco, walked on reciting poems composed by his father about Harold and the R.A.F. and chucked his long brown fingers to explain the verses to us and to the donkey behind him [12 lines of verse are translated and quoted by Stark, with an interruption from her midway, showing this is a reactive listening experience]'

Unknown
Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      

  

Anon Anon : [Arabic qasida (praise poem) in praise of Harold Ingrams]

When I reached home I found a man with a qasida in praise of Harold in his hand. 'He has broken the horns of the wicked', it says. I wonder if this has any relationship with the Bible phrase: 'His horn shall be exalted?'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      Manuscript: Sheet

  

Anon Anon : [unknown tomb inscriptions and Qu'ranic supplication for the dead]

I have spent a meandering day taking last pictures in the town with the Qadhi, who read out the carved inscriptions of the tombs, and standing with upturned palms while he chanted his prayer for the dead, smiled in his gentle way as I said 'Amen'.

Unknown
Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      

  

Anon Anon : [unknown Sabaean inscription at Naqb al-Hajar]

It is a huge citadel, nearly a mile in length I should guess, on a low and stony ridge going east and west [...] the inscription is inside the southern gateway and tells how the governor of the fortress rebuilt the wall with stone and wood and binding (mortar), and calls it by the name of Meifa'a, which has not changed. I sat and copied and kept a running flow of conversation to hold my crowd in hand, telling them the Arabic names of the letters as I wrote them down.

Unknown
Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      

  

Anon Anon : unknown inscriptions

Great black blocks, roughly cut, show the seawall protecting the citadel's approach; and on a ledge east of the causeway the two inscriptions in the rock are clear as on the day that they were cut [...] as through a rift in clouds, they show for a moment the history of Cana in the past. The citadel itself was called Mawiya, and the Governor of Cana here, in the shorter inscription, recorded his presence. The longer one was dated and tells how the tribes of Himyar, having made an expedition into Abyssinia, were harassed by the Abyssinians in their turn; with their lands invaded, their king killed, they shut themselves up in this fortress, and restored its single gateway, its cisterns and walls in the year A.D. 625 or thereabout, many centuries after the Periplus speaks of the ancient harbour [...] these things I turned idly over while copying out the inscriptions through the quiet solitary hours of the afternoon.

Unknown
Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown romance novel]

I was also pained but amused at the pink, paper- bound novels that went about: I asked my neighbour to read me a paragraph, and this was it: "'Good God,' said Susanna: 'what will my mother say when she hears that I have dropped my new eyelashes into the champagne?'"

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [book on South Arabia]

The people in the beds near me also kept quiet during the days before the operation, when I lay busily reading about South Arabia, and this delicacy I have always remembered with gratitude.

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown book about Arabia]

I have been rather feeble and depressed all summer, and it will probably do a lot of good to walk about the hills of Arabia. I have been reading books about it and it sounds a good country though uncomfortable.

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : Periplus of the Erythrean Sea

I am reading the Periplus of the Erythrean Sea (how much prettier a name than Red Sea): it was an old commercial chart by an unknown Greek of Alexandria in the first century - the first account of these shores, which the Arabian traders tried to keep wrapped in mystery so that Roman commerce should not enter. It is very pleasant to sit and read it on deck while the gulfs and bays unroll before one.

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'Last night I sent a field service card just to let you know that I received the parcel alright on Sunday. It was packed very well. There was a lot of stuff in it, and it was quite exciting exploring it, which I did just before going to Church ... Now I must thank you for all the good things you have sent ... It is quiet here now. Not many patients in. One in our ward was shot in the side below the ribs, and the bullet is up in his neck. He was digging at the time in the dark. He is propped up in bed and quite cheerful, eating, reading and sleeping ... The Advertisers were interesting. I read them both yesterday afternoon, and all of young Corbishley's letters.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Anon Anon      Print: Unknown

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'Well, I have got another change. Am on night duty again, but among the officers. Have been doing it just a week ... It is 5.45 now and I will soon take a cup of tea to each patient. Then take water round for them to wash. At seven I finish. In the night I get an easy chair out of the sitting room and a book, and sit here in the small kitchen till a bell rings for me. Two Australian officers came in a night or two ago. One is a chaplain and now dangerously ill with bronchitis. I have to wear a clean white coat and look as clean as possible ... This job is all very well for a change, but I don't think I shall be satisfied with it for too long.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Wainwright      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'This letter will probably not be finished this evening, for I am writing it in the YMCA hut at 6 o'clock and there is such a noise of chairs and tables being moved in preparation for a concert by men from a neighbouring hospital ... The piano is now playing and the hut is full. Am writing this on a book. The concert has begun ... Do you read much? I have taken it up a bit since I was sick and I've read some nice stories. It helps one forget troubles.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Wainwright      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'Yesterday I was given half the day off. In the afternoon I went to my tent and lay down to read and sleep. In the evening I sat in the Salvation Army room and read, for it was raining, and being on "Fire Picket" this week, I am not allowed to leave the hospital vicinity.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Wainwright      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'This afternoon I was off duty so got into my blankets at 1.45 and read a book until I fell asleep, and woke at 4.30.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Wainwright      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'I would not, I could not, give up the rides and rambles that took up so much of my time, but I would try to overcome my disinclination to serious reading. There were plenty of books in the house — it was always a puzzle to me how we came to have so many. I was familiar with their appearance on the shelves — they had been before me since I first opened my eyes — their shape, size, colours, even their titles, and that was all I knew about them. A general Natural History and two little works by James Rennie on the habits and faculties of birds was all the literature suited to my wants in the entire collection of three or four hundred volumes. For the rest I had read a few story-books and novels: but we had no novels; when one came into the house it would be read and lent to our next neighbour five or six miles away, and he in turn would lend to another twenty miles further on, until it disappeared into space'. I made a beginning with Rollin's "Ancient History" in two huge quarto volumes; I fancy it was the large clear type and numerous plates [...] that determined my choice. Rollin the good old priest, opened a new, wonderful world to me, and instead of the tedious task I feared the reading would prove,it was as delightful as it had formerly been to listen to my brother's endless histories of imaginary heroes and their wars and adventures. Still athirst for history, after finishing Rollin I began fingering other works of that kind: there was Whiston's "Josephus", too ponderous a book to be held in the hands when read out of doors; and there was Gibbon in six stately volumes. I was not yet able to appreciate the lofty artificial style, and soon fell upon something better suited to my boyish taste in letters - a "History of Christianity" in, I think, sixteen or eighteen volumes of a convenient size. [...] These biographies sent me to another old book, "Leland on Revelation", which told me much I was curious to know about the mythologies and systems of philosophy of the ancients [...]. Next came Carlyle's "French Revolution", and at last Gibbon, and I was still deep in the "Decline and Fall" when disaster came to us, my father was practically ruined.'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: William Henry Hudson      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [An Answer to the Infidel]

'It was not strange in these circumstances [suffering from cardiac complications of rheumatic fever] that I became more and more absorbed in the religious literature of which we had a good deal on our bookshelves — theology, sermons, meditations for every day in the year, "The Whole Duty of Man", "A Call to the Unconverted", and many other old works of a similar character. Among these I found one entitled, if I remember rightly,"An Answer to the Infidel", and this work, which I took up eagerly in the expectation that it would allay those maddening doubts perpetually arising in my mind [...] reading one of the religious books entitled "The Saints Everlasting Rest" in which the pious author, Richard Baxter expatiates on and labours to make his readers realize the condition of the eternally damned [....]'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: William Henry Hudson      Print: Book

  

Anon Anon : [unknown]

'One of the books I read then for the first time was White's "Selborne", given to me by an old friend of the family, a merchant in Buenos Ayres [sic], who had been accustomed to stay a week or two with us with us once a year when he took his holiday. He had been on a visit to Europe, and one day, he told me, when in London on the eve of his departure, he was in a bookshop, and seeing this book on the counter and glancing at a page or two, it occurred to him that it was just the right thing to get for that bird-loving boy out on the pampas. I read and re-read it many times, for nothing so good of its kind had ever come to me, but it did not reveal to me the secret of my own feeling for Nature [...] I found it in other works: in Brown's "Philosophy" — another of the ancient tomes on our shelves, and in an old volume containing appreciations of the early nineteenth century; also in other works.'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: William Henry Hudson      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [Yemeni legends and tales]

I am reading some Yemeni legends and tales. One nice one about two rival doctors, a good and a bad one: the King said he would take as his family physician the one who succeeded in poisoning the other [summary of the tale follows]

Unknown
Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [British propaganda pamphlet (anti-Italian) in Arabic for distribution in Yemen]

I have been studying the little pamphlet [on the Arabs] in the train and feel that, though you have improved the language, the whole thing is so ineffective that it is not worth bothering about.

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unidentified manuscript belonging to Saladin]

A delightful Persian in Basra, Mirza Muhammed, keeps — entirely for his own pleasure — a priceless collection of Persian and Arabian MSS. I can't tell you what a lovely morning I spent there. An MS. belonging to Saladin, with his name in it, an MS. of the 8th century A.D., and one stamped by the 4th Sultan of the family of Tamerlane — and such lovely illuminated pages in the later ones — treasures beyond price.

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      Manuscript: Codex

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unidentified manuscript of the 8th century A.D.]

A delightful Persian in Basra, Mirza Muhammed, keeps — entirely for his own pleasure — a priceless collection of Persian and Arabian MSS. I can't tell you what a lovely morning I spent there. An MS. belonging to Saladin, with his name in it, an MS. of the 8th century A.D., and one stamped by the 4th Sultan of the family of Tamerlane — and such lovely illuminated pages in the later ones — treasures beyond price.

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      Manuscript: Codex

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unidentified manuscript stamped by the 4th Timurid Sultan, Shahrukh Mirza (1377-1447)]

A delightful Persian in Basra, Mirza Muhammed, keeps — entirely for his own pleasure — a priceless collection of Persian and Arabian MSS. I can't tell you what a lovely morning I spent there. An MS. belonging to Saladin, with his name in it, an MS. of the 8th century A.D., and one stamped by the 4th Sultan of the family of Tamerlane — and such lovely illuminated pages in the later ones — treasures beyond price.

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      Manuscript: Codex, illuminated manuscript

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [intelligence reports from Abyssinia]

We went to St. Tropez to see my Alsatian friends and pushed on to lunch at Paradou, and found A. Besse very cheerful with 7 ladies (including ourselves) around him, therefore fully in his element [...] spent the afternoon reading accounts from his agents in Abyssinia which made me quite sick almost physically.

Unknown
Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unidentified Yemeni manuscripts]

I sat on my roof and went on with my manuscripts, distracted by bevies of women wanting medicines for what they call 'wind', i.e. pains from sitting in their perpetual draughts with no clothes under their gowns. The manuscripts are pleasant to read here: all the raids and battles, talk of the places I know, and the turbulent medieval life rises vivid before one.

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      Manuscript: Unknown

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unidentified Yemen manuscript]

I am getting hold of a copyist as there are various exciting manuscripts here and I can't deal with all myself. I have nearly finished one and it is full of useful information — for instance it gives the date when the old Himyaritic ruin we went to see east of Tarim was renovated by the Arabs and finally ruined.

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      Manuscript: Unknown

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'By the time my wife goes to bed at 9 or soon after, I feel too tired to do anything except sit by the fire and read a little poetry, then go to bed myself—without doing any work or answering a letter.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: William Henry Hudson      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'...and in the little bays I have damaged myself on rocks. I had been reading there on a cliff seat I constructed for about 5 hours on Sunday afternoon, when I woke up to the knowledge that the tide had cut me off; of course I had chosen a place where the cliff was climable (?), but it took rather long with all my books in my hand.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Edward Lawrence      Print: Book, 'books' 'with all my books in my hand'

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'To fill up this rather mixed letter I will give you a sketch of one of my days here. I wake at 7. and get up at 7.30. At eight I take "petit dejuner", and after inspecting my bicycle I read and write till a few minutes to twelve'.

Unknown
Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Edward Lawrence      

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'"The day was fair and sunny, sea and sky "Drank its inspiring radiance, and the wind "Swept strongly from the shore, blackening the waves." I went to my seat on the cliff and read; beneath this projecting rock the sea "On bare black pointed islets ever beats "With heaving surge."' [The quotation however is 'On black bare pointed islets ever beat / With sluggish surge']. 'As I have started giving quotations you will have to endure more, or burn the letter [...] I reached there before two today and stayed till seven. I think an August afternoon is the best time of the year...'

Unknown
Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Edward Lawrence      

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'While walking about there before continuing my reading I fell into a little lake, between two rocks, and I wet all my legs. It was "A still salt pool, locked in with bars of sand "Left on the shore." [Quoted from "The Palace of Art", Tennyson] From my reading desk "I see the waves upon the shore "Like Light dissolved in star-showers thrown."'[Quoted from "Stanzas Written in Dejection, near Naples", Shelley]. '...I have got into the habit of quoting any appropriate lines to myself, and this time I thought I would put them on record'.

Unknown
Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Edward Lawrence      

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [guide book]

'I rode to Montbard...and thence here, which is a tiny village about 15 miles from Vezelay "the grandest Norman church in Europe" (or outside it I presume) the guide-books all sing in chorus. I'll let you know tomorrow about that'.

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Edward Lawrence      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown Arabic language primer]

I sat at my table and studied verbs and nouns, wrapped in more clothes than I wore to climb the Matterhorn, and looked with a wary eye at the sunshine outside, dazzling and hard, and able to freeze one to the bone. In spite of this inclemency, I flourished, attended to by Mlle Rose with the same care as that which she devoted to her begonias; they flowered in the middle of the winter on her marble floor.

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

I am grateful for the leisure of my years, whether voluntary or enforced — for long stretches of sickness or of holiday, and also for small snippets like those produced by the habit of dressing for the evening. It meant a casting away as it were of the day's business. After dinner, in Asolo, Herbert Young would read aloud while we embroidered; later on, he and my mother took to bridge; and in any case all solitary activities were laid aside and a sort of emptiness built around the folding of the day.

Unknown
Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark      

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

I am grateful for the leisure of my years, whether voluntary or enforced — for long stretches of sickness or of holiday, and also for small snippets like those produced by the habit of dressing for the evening. It meant a casting away as it were of the day's business. After dinner, in Asolo, Herbert Young would read aloud while we embroidered; later on, he and my mother took to bridge; and in any case all solitary activities were laid aside and a sort of emptiness built around the folding of the day.

Unknown
Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Flora Stark      

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

I am grateful for the leisure of my years, whether voluntary or enforced — for long stretches of sickness or of holiday, and also for small snippets like those produced by the habit of dressing for the evening. It meant a casting away as it were of the day's business. After dinner, in Asolo, Herbert Young would read aloud while we embroidered; later on, he and my mother took to bridge; and in any case all solitary activities were laid aside and a sort of emptiness built around the folding of the day.

Unknown
Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Herbert Young      

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [biography of Robert E. Lee]

'I have lately re-read here the complete works of Conrad and Henry James and am engaged on reading all the books of Stephen Crane that I can lay my hands on—for the to me astounding fact is that the works of these three writers are here out of print and practically unobtainable, such being glory! I had to borrow the Conrad and James from Doubleday and Scribner's respectively and Knopf has only been able to lend me Crane’s "George's Mother". . . after ringing up more than twenty new and second hand booksellers. Of Conrad I was most re-impressed by "Under Western Eyes", "Nostromo" and the "Secret Agent"; of James the "Spoils of Poynton", the "Wings of the Dove", the "Turn of the Screw" and a dozen short stories. I have also been reading during a fortnight in Tennessee from which I have just returned, the "Agricultural Census" of the United States, several lives of Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Boone, Crockett and minor Southern Notabilities, the new (as yet unpublished) volume of poems by Allen Tate; the new (as yet unpublished) novel of Robert Penn Warren—both these admirable; and a number of other works in ms. Of lately published work I have vivid recollections of and admiration for “Aleck Maury, Sportsman”, by Caroline Gordon, “Act of Darkness” by John Peale Bishop,” Walls Against the Wind” by Frances Park, “Little Candle’s Beam” by Isa Glenn and Graham Greene’s “It’s a Battlefield” and Arnold Gingrich’s “Cast Down the Laurel”.' [Ford then indicates his intended shipboard reading between New York and Naples on the S.S. "Roma" including Crane and W. H. Hudson over the next week or so.]

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Ford Madox Ford      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [biography of Stonewall Jackson]

'I have lately re-read here the complete works of Conrad and Henry James and am engaged on reading all the books of Stephen Crane that I can lay my hands on—for the to me astounding fact is that the works of these three writers are here out of print and practically unobtainable, such being glory! I had to borrow the Conrad and James from Doubleday and Scribner's respectively and Knopf has only been able to lend me Crane’s "George's Mother". . . after ringing up more than twenty new and second hand booksellers. Of Conrad I was most re-impressed by "Under Western Eyes", "Nostromo" and the "Secret Agent"; of James the "Spoils of Poynton", the "Wings of the Dove", the "Turn of the Screw" and a dozen short stories. I have also been reading during a fortnight in Tennessee from which I have just returned, the "Agricultural Census" of the United States, several lives of Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Boone, Crockett and minor Southern Notabilities, the new (as yet unpublished) volume of poems by Allen Tate; the new (as yet unpublished) novel of Robert Penn Warren—both these admirable; and a number of other works in ms. Of lately published work I have vivid recollections of and admiration for “Aleck Maury, Sportsman”, by Caroline Gordon, “Act of Darkness” by John Peale Bishop,” Walls Against the Wind” by Frances Park, “Little Candle’s Beam” by Isa Glenn and Graham Greene’s “It’s a Battlefield” and Arnold Gingrich’s “Cast Down the Laurel”.' [Ford then indicates his intended shipboard reading between New York and Naples on the S.S. "Roma" including Crane and W. H. Hudson over the next week or so.]

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Ford Madox Ford      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [biography of Davy Crockett]

'I have lately re-read here the complete works of Conrad and Henry James and am engaged on reading all the books of Stephen Crane that I can lay my hands on—for the to me astounding fact is that the works of these three writers are here out of print and practically unobtainable, such being glory! I had to borrow the Conrad and James from Doubleday and Scribner's respectively and Knopf has only been able to lend me Crane’s "George's Mother". . . after ringing up more than twenty new and second hand booksellers. Of Conrad I was most re-impressed by "Under Western Eyes", "Nostromo" and the "Secret Agent"; of James the "Spoils of Poynton", the "Wings of the Dove", the "Turn of the Screw" and a dozen short stories. I have also been reading during a fortnight in Tennessee from which I have just returned, the "Agricultural Census" of the United States, several lives of Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Boone, Crockett and minor Southern Notabilities, the new (as yet unpublished) volume of poems by Allen Tate; the new (as yet unpublished) novel of Robert Penn Warren—both these admirable; and a number of other works in ms. Of lately published work I have vivid recollections of and admiration for “Aleck Maury, Sportsman”, by Caroline Gordon, “Act of Darkness” by John Peale Bishop,” Walls Against the Wind” by Frances Park, “Little Candle’s Beam” by Isa Glenn and Graham Greene’s “It’s a Battlefield” and Arnold Gingrich’s “Cast Down the Laurel”.' [Ford then indicates his intended shipboard reading between New York and Naples on the S.S. "Roma" including Crane and W. H. Hudson over the next week or so.]

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Ford Madox Ford      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [biography of Daniel Boone]

'I have lately re-read here the complete works of Conrad and Henry James and am engaged on reading all the books of Stephen Crane that I can lay my hands on—for the to me astounding fact is that the works of these three writers are here out of print and practically unobtainable, such being glory! I had to borrow the Conrad and James from Doubleday and Scribner's respectively and Knopf has only been able to lend me Crane’s "George's Mother". . . after ringing up more than twenty new and second hand booksellers. Of Conrad I was most re-impressed by "Under Western Eyes", "Nostromo" and the "Secret Agent"; of James the "Spoils of Poynton", the "Wings of the Dove", the "Turn of the Screw" and a dozen short stories. I have also been reading during a fortnight in Tennessee from which I have just returned, the "Agricultural Census" of the United States, several lives of Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Boone, Crockett and minor Southern Notabilities, the new (as yet unpublished) volume of poems by Allen Tate; the new (as yet unpublished) novel of Robert Penn Warren—both these admirable; and a number of other works in ms. Of lately published work I have vivid recollections of and admiration for “Aleck Maury, Sportsman”, by Caroline Gordon, “Act of Darkness” by John Peale Bishop,” Walls Against the Wind” by Frances Park, “Little Candle’s Beam” by Isa Glenn and Graham Greene’s “It’s a Battlefield” and Arnold Gingrich’s “Cast Down the Laurel”.' [Ford then indicates his intended shipboard reading between New York and Naples on the S.S. "Roma" including Crane and W. H. Hudson over the next week or so.]

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Ford Madox Ford      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [Notes on Colossians]

'Notes on Colossians'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Sarah Good      Print: Unknown

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [Notes on Thessalonians]

'Notes on Thessalonians'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Sarah Good      Print: Unknown

  

[Anon] [Anon] : La Vida de Lazarillo de Tormes

'David Watson, M.A. of St. Andrews University, used to spend every spare moment of his day and whole Sundays on end with this writer [Ford] standing beside him at his pulpit and construing for him every imaginable kind of book from “Ataxerxes” of Madame de Scudéry and “Les Enfants de [sic] Capitaine Grant” by Jules Verne, to ode after ode of Tibullus, Fouqué’s “Udine”, all of the “Inferno”, the greater part of “Lazarillo de Tormes” and “Don Quixote” in the original[…] In addition, Mr. Watson had this writer translate for him orally into French “The Two Admirals”, “The Deerslayer”, and “The Last of the Mohicans”—which made this writer appreciate what a magnificent prose writer Cooper was.’

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: Ford Madox Ford      Print: Book

  

[Anon] [Anon] : [unknown]

'Lottie's kind of reading, though I could manage it, was not mine; it was usually fiction conducive of the domestic virtues. At the club, my father discovered a number of volumes which to me were very heaven. The author was Jules Verne. I was quite convinced that he told the truth, and in The Mysterious Island (with an organ on a submarine) I lived in perfect joy and felicity. [...] He eclipsed Marryat and Ballantyne and Kingston for me; and Henty never fully caught my attention.'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Charlotte Margaret Blunden      Print: Book

  

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