Record Number: 9297

---

Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'she was reading Dryden's "Don Sebastian", which treats of incest, and happened to ask Byron a question. He said angrily: "Where did you hear that?". "I looked up and saw that he was holding over me a dagger which he usually wore. I replied, "Oh, only from this book". I was not afraid - I as persuaded he only did it to terrify me".'

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

Between 2 Jan 1815 and 1 Feb 1815

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Halnaby

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

---

Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Anne Isabella (Annabella), Baroness Byron

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

17 May 1792

Socio-Economic Group:

Royalty / aristocracy

Occupation:

unknown

Religion:

unknown

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

Nee Milbanke

---

Text Being Read:

Author:

John Dryden

Title:

Don Sebastian

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

---

Source Information:

Record ID:

9297

Source:

Print

Author:

Ethel Colburn Mayne

Editor:

n/a

Title:

The Life and Letters of Anne Isabella, Lady Noel Byron

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1969

Vol:

n/a

Page:

162

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Ethel Colburn Mayne, The Life and Letters of Anne Isabella, Lady Noel Byron, (London, 1969), p. 162, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=9297, accessed: 09 May 2025

---

Additional Comments:

this was on her honeymoon!