'What Books have you been perusing - and how did you like Sha[ke]spea[re]? - Since I saw you I have toil'd thro' many a thick octa[vo] - many of them to little purpose. Byron's and Scott's "Poems" I have read and must admire - tho' you recollect, we used to give Campbell a de[cided] preference - and I still think, with justice. Have you ever seen Hoole's "Tas[so?]" I have among many others read, it, "Leonidas", "The Epigoniad", "Oberon", "Savage[e's] Poems" &.c. Miss Porter's "Scottish Chiefs" and "Waverl[e]y" have been the principal of my Novels - With regard to "Waverl[e]y" I cannot help remarking t[hat] in my opinion it is the best novel that has been published these thirty years. The characters of Ebenezer Cru[i]ckshank[s] mine host of the garter, the Reverend Mr. Gowk - thrapple and Squire Bradwardian display a Cervantic vein of humour which has seldom been surpassed - whilst the descriptions of the gloomy caverns of the Highlands, and the delineations of the apathic Callum Beg and enterprising Vich Ian Vohr show a richness of [italics]Scottean[end italics] colouring which few have equalled. Give me your opinion of it if you have read it; - and if not - endeavour by all means to procure it.'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Carlyle Print: Book
Robert Southey to Horace Walpole Bedford, 24 January - 18 February 1794: '& now to literary subjects. Glover has written the two Tragedies of Boadicea & Medea. in the first I see but one fault it is that the Romans are treated too respectfully — the remark has been made by abler critics & will be confirmd by every one who reads the drama. in Medea he has introduced blank lyric but confined them to Iambics & Trochaics. I speak from memory but think it is right. this is all that I have seen of Glovers.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey Print: Book
Robert Southey to Horace Walpole Bedford, 24 January - 18 February 1794: '& now to literary subjects. Glover has written the two Tragedies of Boadicea & Medea. in the first I see but one fault it is that the Romans are treated too respectfully — the remark has been made by abler critics & will be confirmd by every one who reads the drama. in Medea he has introduced blank lyric but confined them to Iambics & Trochaics. I speak from memory but think it is right. this is all that I have seen of Glovers.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey Print: Book
Robert Southey to Horace Walpole Bedford, 24 January - 18 February 1794: 'The Leonidas is a very fine poem in my opinion. J. Warton says it is written with the simplicity of an antient; when Glover wrote that simplicity of diction was the fashion — a more vitiated taste prevails at present, since Johnson sonorized our prose & the imitators of Collins & Gray loaded our poetry with awkard imagery & cumbrous metaphor. into this meretricious stile I know myself frequently to have fallen & am pleased to see myself daily reclaiming. simplicity is all in all. you will read the epics of Glover with renewed pleasure upon every perusal.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey Print: Book
