'Brought from the Library Gifford's "Address to the loyal Association". [In margin:"A Pamphlet"] he says that he has received from Paris an account of the design of the French to divide this country into 3 distinct Republics ... The English directors are said to be Paine, Hooke, Thelwall, Sharpe & Lansdown ...'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Joseph Hunter
'and then by water down to Greenwich and thence walked to Woolwich, all the way reading Playfords "Introduction to Musique", wherein are some things very pretty.'
Century: 1600-1699 Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Pepys Print: Book
'So home to look on my new books that I have lately bought; and then to supper and to bed.'
Pepys records the following in his diary the previous day (15 April): 'Thence I to my new bookseller's and there bought Hookers "Policy", the new edition, and Dugdale's history of the Inn's of Court, of which there was but a few saved out of the Fire - and Playford's new sketch-book, that hath a great many new fooleries in it.'
Century: 1600-1699 Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Pepys Print: Book
Elizabeth Barrett to Mary Russell Mitford, 14 December 1836:
'How much ignorance I have to confess in sackcloth, with respect to the old dramatists! -- for
indeed I have had little opportunity of walking with them in their purple & fine linen. Only
[italics]extracts[end italics] from Bea[u]mont & Fletcher -- & Ford, -- have past before my
eyes!'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Barrett Print: Book
'Since I have been in London I have read nothing but Miss Seward's letters and Miss Owenson's Missionary. Of Miss Seward I am bound to speak well, as she doth so of me; and her monodies are beauiful; but the letters are naught; they abound in false sentiment, and a great many other false things. As to the Missionary, Ambrosio is his father, and Matilde his mother; but, wanting the indelicacy of papa, and the delicacy of mamma, he's a dull fellow. I could think of nothing else but poor Margaret Stewart of Blantyre, and her presbyterian minister, while I read this. Miss Luxina brought her hogs to a bad market, for Hilarion was little better than a beast. Walter Scott's last poem I have also seen, but so hastily that I can be no competent judge of its merits. Talking of words, allow me to recommend to you Ford's plays, lately re-published. Some of them are excellent; the first in the series (which hath an awkward name, I must confess) and the Broken Heart, are particularly admirable. I am sure that you will be struck with them; for Ford is almost as moving as Otway or Lee, - who is the mad poet I adore, yet I can persuade nobody to read him. The History of the Somerville Family, which I have seen in MS., is soon to be printed, and that of Sutherland is to be out shortly'.
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe Print: Book
'Since I have been in London I have read nothing but Miss Seward's letters and Miss Owenson's Missionary. Of Miss Seward I am bound to speak well, as she doth so of me; and her monodies are beauiful; but the letters are naught; they abound in false sentiment, and a great many other false things. As to the Missionary, Ambrosio is his father, and Matilde his mother; but, wanting the indelicacy of papa, and the delicacy of mamma, he's a dull fellow. I could think of nothing else but poor Margaret Stewart of Blantyre, and her presbyterian minister, while I read this. Miss Luxina brought her hogs to a bad market, for Hilarion was little better than a beast. Walter Scott's last poem I have also seen, but so hastily that I can be no competent judge of its merits. Talking of words, allow me to recommend to you Ford's plays, lately re-published. Some of them are excellent; the first in the series (which hath an awkward name, I must confess) and the Broken Heart, are particularly admirable. I am sure that you will be struck with them; for Ford is almost as moving as Otway or Lee, - who is the mad poet I adore, yet I can persuade nobody to read him. The History of the Somerville Family, which I have seen in MS., is soon to be printed, and that of Sutherland is to be out shortly'.
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe Print: Book
'Lady [-] lent me Mrs Grant's "Superstitions of the Highlands", and I like what I have read of it; but, above all things, I admire Mr Jeffrey's review of it, and also a review of Ford's plays, in which latter there are some beautiful pieces of writing, especially in "The Broken Heart". I am sorry they are disgraced with such coarseness. It does not do to tear off the drapery of a moral imagination, and expose our naked and shivering nature. But certainly those powerful pictures of the passions that were exhibitied in former days, make a good contrast to the tameness of modern performances. I do not like "Love's Melancholy" at all. The character of Penthea in "The Broken Heart" is very fine; but I could not see the advantages of making Calantha dance on when all her friends are dead'.
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Charlotte Bury Print: Book
'Lady [-] lent me Mrs Grant's "Superstitions of the Highlands", and I like what I have read of it; but, above all things, I admire Mr Jeffrey's review of it, and also a review of Ford's plays, in which latter there are some beautiful pieces of writing, especially in "The Broken Heart". I am sorry they are disgraced with such coarseness. It does not do to tear off the drapery of a moral imagination, and expose our naked and shivering nature. But certainly those powerful pictures of the passions that were exhibitied in former days, make a good contrast to the tameness of modern performances. I do not like "Love's [sic] Melancholy" at all. The character of Penthea in "The Broken Heart" is very fine; but I could not see the advantages of making Calantha dance on when all her friends are dead'.
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Charlotte Bury Print: Book
[?] Sunday 29 September 1935: 'Yesterday I [...] read the Lovers Melancholy & skimmed the top of the words; & want to go on reading things miles away -- beautiful hard words. remote. Not Mrs Easdale, who is silly, egotistic, sloppy, & very conventional. I am shocked to find Rodmell patched onto those pages.'
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: Virginia Woolf Print: Book
