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the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

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Listings for Author:  

Charles Rollin

  

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Charles Rollin : Ancient History of the Egyptians

Continue the perusal of Rollins Ancient History- this work reflects great light upon the sacred volume.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: I.G.      Print: Book

  

Charles Rollin : Ancient History

'[Janet Hamilton] had a heavy literary diet as a child - history by Rollin and Plutarch, Ancient Universal History, Pitscottie's Chronicles of Scotland, as well as the Spectator and Rambler. She could borrow books by Burns, Robert Fergusson and other poets from neighbours, and at age eight she found "to my great joy, on the loom of an intellectual weaver", Paradise Lost and Allan Ramsay's poems'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Janet Hamilton      Print: Book

  

Charles Rollin : The Roman History

Afternoon reading Rollin's History

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Adam Mackie      Print: Book

  

Charles Rollin : The Roman History

Afternoon reading Rollin, wherein instruction may be learned. Indulge not in ease. It enfeebles the body and ,although one could afford luxury, it should not be indulged. It enervates the whole mind and by imperceptible steps overcomes the whole frame.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Adam Mackie      Print: Book

  

Charles Rollin : The Roman History

Afternoon reading Rollin's history of Antiochus Epiphanus, who persecuted the Jews.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Adam Mackie      Print: Book

  

Charles Rollin : The Roman History

Spent the evening reading Paulus Emillius's Campaign in Macedonia and the Overthrow of Perseus, the last king thereof.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Adam Mackie      Print: Book

  

Charles Rollin : The Roman History

At even reading from Rollin the defeat of the Romans under Crassus, 54 BC, the history of Hieron, the good king of Syracuse and the siege of Suracuse by the Romans under Marcellus, when it was reduced by them.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Adam Mackie      Print: Book

  

Charles Rollin : Ancient History

'Methodist millworker Thomas Wood attended a school where there was only one book, the Bible, which was never read beyond the first chapter of St John. Therefore he later "read everythig I could lay hands on", which was precious little... He worked his way through most of the library at an independent Sunday school, and joined a mechanics' institute for 1 1/2d a week. His reading, though "very heterogenous" and undirected, could be quite intensive, as when he devoted almost a year to the six volumes of Rollin's Ancient History. That "left an impression on my mind which 40 years of wear and tear has not effaced".'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Wood      Print: Book

  

Charles Rollin : Ancient history

?As spring and autumn were our only really busy seasons, I had occasionally , during other parts of the year, considerable leisure, which, if I could procure a book that I considered at all worth the reading, was spent with such a book of my desk, in the little recess of the packing room. Here, therefore, I had opportunities for reading many books of which I had only heard the names before, such as Robertson?s "History of Scotland", Goldsmith?s "History of England", Rollin?s "Ancient History", Hume?s "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire", Anachaises? "Travels in Greece"; and many other works on travels, geography, and antiquities.?

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Bamford      Print: Book

  

Charles Rollin : The Ancient History of the Egyptians, Carthagians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes and Persians

'At home I acquired increased facilities for reading, by means of a small book-club, consisting of my landlord and a few of his friends. Of this I became a member; and thus had the means of becoming a little acquainted with works which I had not before seen. Among these was Rollin's "Ancient History", which greatly pleased me, although I was at a loss to account for his seemingly intimate knowledge of what was done or said in the private cabinet of monarchs and warriors two or three thousand years before he wrote.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group:      Print: Book

  

Charles Rollin : Ancient History

'Much of it [ie. ?the daily instruction I received?] consisted in the books I read by myself, and my father?s discourses to me, chiefly during our walks. From 1810 to the end of 1813 we were living in Newington Green, then an almost rustic neighbourhood. My father?s health required considerable and constant exercise, and he walked habitually before breakfast, generally in the green lanes towards Hornsey. In these walks I always accompanied him, and with my earliest recollections of green fields and wild flowers, is mingled that of the account I gave him daily of what I had read the day before. To the best of my remembrance, this was a voluntary rather than a prescribed exercise. I made notes on slips of paper while reading, and from these, in the morning walks, I told the story to him; for the books were chiefly histories, of which I read in this manner a great number: Robertson?s histories, Hume, Gibbon; but my greatest delight, then and for long afterwards, was Watson?s Philip the Second and Third. The heroic defence of the Knights of Malta against the Turks, and of the revolted provinces of the Netherlands against Spain, excited in me an intense and lasting interest. Next to Watson, my favourite historical reading was Hooke?s History of Rome. Of Greece I had seen at that time no regular history, except school abridgments and the last two or three volumes of a translation of Rollin?s Ancient History, beginning with Philip of Macedon. But I read with great delight Langhorne?s translation of Plutarch. In English history, beyond the time at which Hume leaves off, I remember reading Burnett?s History of his Own Time, though I cared little for anything in it except the wars and battles; and the historical part of the Annual Register, from the beginning to about 1788, where the volumes my father borrowed for me from Mr Bentham left off?. In these frequent talks about the books I read, he used, as opportunity offered, to give me explanations and ideas respecting civilization, government, morality, mental cultivation, which he required me afterwards to restate to him in my own words.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: John Stuart Mill      Print: Book

  

Charles Rollin : The ancient history of the Egyptians

'In the room is a library to which we can at any time resort, consisting of Tillotson, Blair, Howe and Watt's Sermons, Sherlock on Death, Watts' world to come, Rollin's "Ancient History", Josephur, Hervey's "Meditations", Hervey's letters, Edwards on the religions, Affections, Pope, Kirke White, Cowper, Milton, Henry + Scott's Commentary, Sherlock on a Future state, etc, etc. Of these made some use of Blair, Rollin, Hervey, Sherlock on Death, Dr Johnson's poems, etc.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: John Cole      Print: Book

  

Charles Rollin : Ancient History

'I well remember, and I sometimes think of it with tears, bringing to my lodgings Rollin's "Ancient History", in six volumes. I wanted something to read. I had no one to advise me to a course of reading, so I pitched on Rollin. Next I obtained a number of Wiley and Putnam's "Library of Choice Reading", and there I found essay, and biography, and history; but for the lack of a system, my reading was desultory. My time was soon fully occupied in speaking, day and night, in school-houses, vestries, and halls, so that the opportunities for intellectual culture were limited. Still, I read a great deal to small profit, owing to the lack of advantages, such as I might have obtained, by the training which an education would have imparted.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: John B. Gough      Print: Book

  

Charles Rollin : Histoire ancienne des Egyptiennes, des Carthaginois, des Assyriens, des Babyloniens, des Medes, des Perses, des Macedoniens, et des Grecs (6 vols)

'Now that you have finished Rollin, I think you ought to begin some other book on general literature, directed if possible like it, in some degree to the progress of your classical studies.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: John A. Carlyle      Print: Book

  

Charles Rollin : unknown

'Wednesday Sept. [...] 14th. [...] After dinner play with the children, & read Rollin. After tea [...] read Catholic deputation with Mr. Gambs in Hessey & Taylor's Monthly Review.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Claire Clairmont      Print: Book

  

Charles Rollin : The Ancient History

'There is no plainer way of testifying my entire approval of the matter contained in your last letter than rigidly adhering to the plan you have sketched for me. This I am endeavouring to do - I immediately commenced an active search through the libraries of my acquaintance for some of the books you named... My next attempt was on Rollin and that proved more successful. I read his Ancient History in my infancy; but remembered no more of it than the number of volumes. I have already finished the first volume.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Jane Baillie Welsh      Print: BookManuscript: Letter

  

Charles Rollin : The History of the Arts and Sciences of the Ancients

'I finished Rollin before these people came. I am quite distressed about my memory - after all the time and pains I have bestowed on this ancient history I find my mind retains but a faint outline of it. - I did not read the dissertation on the arts and sciences it seemed lumpish stuff, and foreign to my present purpose[.] However if you think it for my good to spend a fortnight on these three volumes I will not grudge it.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Jane Baillie Welsh      Print: Book

  

Charles Rollin : Ancient History

'As I was reading with Susan and Sophy today in Rollin's Grecian History it struck me, that when Mardonius offered Terms to the Athenians & Aristides rejected 'em; he stretched out his hands to the Sun, & appealing to that Luminary - [italics] doubtless as God of the Persians [italics] for what had he to do with the Sun in particular? he called upon him to revenge the Grecian Cause upon his Worshippers. These Bramin & Persees being here in England turns everybody's Head now like [italics] Clytie's [end italics] to the [italics] Sun [end italics]. We are all deep for the Time forsooth in Persian Mythology.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Hester Thrale and her daughters Sophy and Susanna     Print: Book

  

Charles Rollin : Method of Teaching and Studying the Belles Lettres

'While their [her daughters'] Father's Life preserv'd my Authority entire, I used it [italics] all & only [end italics] for their Improvement; & since it expired with him, & my Influence perished by my Connection with Piozzi - I have read to them what I could not force or perswade them to read for themselves. The English & Roman Histories, the Bible; - not Extracts, but the whole from End to End - Milton, Shakespeare, Pope's Iliad, Odyssey & other Works, some Travels through the well-known Parts of Europe; some elegant Novels as Goldsmith's Vicar of Wakefield, Voltaire's Zadig &c. Young & Addison's works, Plays out of Number, Rollin's Belles Lettres - and hundreds of Things now forgot, have filled our Time up since we left London for Bath.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Hester Lynch Thrale and her daughters Hester, Susanna and Sophia     Print: Book

  

Charles Rollin : The Ancient History of the Egyptians, Carthaginians, Assyrians

'I would not, I could not, give up the rides and rambles that took up so much of my time, but I would try to overcome my disinclination to serious reading. There were plenty of books in the house — it was always a puzzle to me how we came to have so many. I was familiar with their appearance on the shelves — they had been before me since I first opened my eyes — their shape, size, colours, even their titles, and that was all I knew about them. A general Natural History and two little works by James Rennie on the habits and faculties of birds was all the literature suited to my wants in the entire collection of three or four hundred volumes. For the rest I had read a few story-books and novels: but we had no novels; when one came into the house it would be read and lent to our next neighbour five or six miles away, and he in turn would lend to another twenty miles further on, until it disappeared into space'. I made a beginning with Rollin's "Ancient History" in two huge quarto volumes; I fancy it was the large clear type and numerous plates [...] that determined my choice. Rollin the good old priest, opened a new, wonderful world to me, and instead of the tedious task I feared the reading would prove,it was as delightful as it had formerly been to listen to my brother's endless histories of imaginary heroes and their wars and adventures. Still athirst for history, after finishing Rollin I began fingering other works of that kind: there was Whiston's "Josephus", too ponderous a book to be held in the hands when read out of doors; and there was Gibbon in six stately volumes. I was not yet able to appreciate the lofty artificial style, and soon fell upon something better suited to my boyish taste in letters - a "History of Christianity" in, I think, sixteen or eighteen volumes of a convenient size. [...] These biographies sent me to another old book, "Leland on Revelation", which told me much I was curious to know about the mythologies and systems of philosophy of the ancients [...]. Next came Carlyle's "French Revolution", and at last Gibbon, and I was still deep in the "Decline and Fall" when disaster came to us, my father was practically ruined.'

Century: 1850-1899     Reader/Listener/Group: William Henry Hudson      Print: Book

  

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