Mary Russell Mitford to Elzabeth Barrett, 13 October 1836:
'I have just read your delightful ballad. My earliest book was "Percy's Reliques," the delight of
my childhood; and after them came Scott's "Minstrelsy of the Borders," the favourite of my
youth; so that I am prepared to love ballads [...] Are you a great reader of the old English
drama? I am -- preferring it to every other sort of reading; of course admitting, and
regretting, the grossness of the age; but that, from habit, one skips, without a thought just as
I should over so much Greek or Hebrew which I knew I could not comprehend. have you read
Victor Hugo's Plays? (he also is one of my naughty pets), and his "Notre Dame?" I admit the
bad taste of these, the excess; but the power and the pathos are to me indescribably great.
And then he has [...] made the French a new language. He has accomplished this partly by
going back to the old fountains, Froissart, &c. Again, these old Chronicles are great books of
mine.'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Mary Russell Mitford Print: Book
'[King] likes Doughty, Arabian Knights [sic], Froissart.'
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: Cecil King Print: Book
Robert Southey to Charles Watkin Williams Wynn, 22 September 1797: 'I have been reading old Froissart. after Sir Walter Manny & about a dozen Knights with three hundred archers had sallied out & broken an engine than annoyed them — the Countess of Montford met them in the on their return, & she kissed them all three or four times, like a noble & valiant Lady.
I have a great love for this plain quaintness of speech — it is often ludicrous, but it as often beautiful — & one who wishes to write good poetry now should read old prose.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey Print: Book
Books read by Oscar Wilde in Reading Gaol, December 1896 - March 1897, taken from his list of books requested and then sent by his friends. Source author notes that Wilde read and re-read everything available to him in prison. 'Gaston de Latour by Walter Pater, MA (Macmillan), Milman's History of Latin Christianity, Wordsworth's Complete Works in one volume with preface by John Morley (Macmillan, 7/6), Matthew Arnold's Poems. One volume complete. (Macmillan, 7/6), Dante and other Essays by Dean Church (Macmillan, 5/-), Percy's Reliques, Hallam's Middle Ages (History of), Dryden's Poems (1 vol. Macmillan. 3/6), Burns's Poems ditto, Morte D'Arthur ditto, Froissart's Chronicles ditto, Buckle's History of Civilisation, Marlowe's Plays, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (edited by A. Pollard 2 vols 10/-) Macmillan, Introduction to Dante by John Addington Symonds, Companion to Dante by A.J. Butler, Miscellaneous Essays by Walter Pater, An English translation of Goethe's Faust'.
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Oscar Wilde Print: Book
'The following miscellaneous programme was then gone through. This change in the subject was caused by the imposibility of getting cheap copies of The Dynasts.
1. Pianoforte solo. Selection from Debusy [sic] Miss Bowman Smith
2. Reading. Modern Froissart Chronicles Mrs W.H. Smith
3. Reading. Migrations. Anon. Contrib. from Punch by Alfred Rawlings
4. Recitation. In a Gondola (Browning) Miss Cole
5. Song. 2 French Bergerettes. Mrs Unwin
6. Essay. 'The Pious Atrocity' R.B. Graham
7. Reading. Wedding Presents (Punch) Mrs Reynolds
8. Song. My dear Soul. Mrs Robson
9. Reading 'How the Camel got his Hump' W.H. Smith
10. Song. The Camel's hump. E.E. Unwin
11. Reading. The Man of the Evening (A.A. Milne Punch) Miss R. Wallis
12. Song. Hebrides Galley Song. Miss Bowman Smith
13. Reading. Arms of Wipplecrack S.A. Reynolds
14. Reading. Joints in the Armour. E.V. Lucas. H.M. Wallis
15. Song-Chant Folk Song [ditto]
16. Essay. 'Bad morality & bad art' R.H. Robson
17. Song. Winter. Miss Bowman Smith
18. Essay 'Etaples & the air raids' H.R. Smith
19. Recitation. These new fangled ways. E.E. Unwin
20. Song. Goodnight. Mrs Robson'
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Ann Smith Print: Book
