Record Number: 19862
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
'The Dean then shew'd me the Poem he wrote on his own death; when I came to that Part of it, [italics] Behold the fatal Day arrive! How is the Dean? He's just alive [end italics] I was so sensibly affected, that my Eyes fill'd with Tears; The Dean observing it, said, "Phoo, I am not dead yet - but you shan't read any more now". I then earnestly requested he would let me take it home with me. [he did this, on condition she neither copy it nor show it to anyone else - she did not, but her memory was very good and she learnt it and "could not forbear delighting some particular Friends with a Rehearsal of it" - when Swift heard others knew it, he thought LP had broken her word and was furious. He would not believe her assurances to the contrary] and produc'd a Poerm something like it, publish'd in [italics] London [end italics], and told me, from my reading it about, that odd Burlesque on it had taken rise. He bade me read it aloud. I did so, and could not forbear laughing, as I plainly perceiv'd, tho' he had endeavour'd to disguise his Stile, that the Dean had burlesqu'd himself'.
Century:1700-1799
Date:Between 1 Sep 1732 and 30 Apr 1733
Country:Ireland
Timen/a
Place:city: Dublin
specific address: Deanery House
(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: Age:Adult (18-100+)
Gender:Female
Date of Birth:1708
Socio-Economic Group:Clergy (includes all denominations)
Occupation:clergyman's wife
Religion:Anglican
Country of Origin:Ireland
Country of Experience:Ireland
Listeners present if any:e.g family, servants, friends
n/a
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:Verses on the Death of Dr Swift
Genre:Poetry
Form of Text:Manuscript: Unknown
Publication Detailsn/a
Provenanceread in situ
read at Swift's Deanery
Source Information:
Record ID:19862
Source:Laetitia Pilkington
Editor:A.C. Elias
Title:Memoirs of Laetitia Pilkington
Place of Publication:Athens GA
Date of Publication:1997
Vol:I
Page:54-5
Additional Comments:
n/a
Citation:
Laetitia Pilkington, A.C. Elias (ed.), Memoirs of Laetitia Pilkington, (Athens GA, 1997), I, p. 54-5, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=19862, accessed: 25 April 2024
Additional Comments:
Date of birth 1708 or 1709. Verses later re-read at home.