Record Number: 25728

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

Lady Harriet Cavendish to her former governess, Selina Trimmer, 19 November 1803: 'I have only read 2 of Belsham's lives; Charles the second and James the second. Charles the first I feel pretty well acquainted with, from our old friend Clarendon. I do not mean to go on with Belsham till I have finished Madame de Sevigne's letters, one volume of which I have read. It is a great undertaking to read them through, but they are so very delightful, and I have so much time for reading here, that I do not find it at all too tedious. I do think her letters and her sentiments quite incomparable, and the endless variety of anecdote and wit, assure their never tiring or boring [...] In the evening we all read and oh! the pleasures of Ignorance. Madame de Sevigne's is to me more entertaining and to my shame I confess, much more [italics]new[end italics], than any novel I could read.'

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

Between 16 Nov 1803 and 19 Nov 1813

Country:

England

Time

evening

Place:

city: Bath

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Lady Harriet Cavendish

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

Aug 1785

Socio-Economic Group:

Royalty / aristocracy

Occupation:

n/a

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Madame de Sevigne

Title:

Letters

Genre:

Autobiog / Diary

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

25728

Source:

Print

Author:

n/a

Editor:

Sir George Leveson Gower and Iris Palmer

Title:

Hary-o: The Letters of Lady Harriet Cavendish 1796-1809

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1940

Vol:

n/a

Page:

78

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Sir George Leveson Gower and Iris Palmer (ed.), Hary-o: The Letters of Lady Harriet Cavendish 1796-1809, (London, 1940), p. 78, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=25728, accessed: 29 April 2024

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Additional Comments:

Reader and family on a two-month stay in Bath.