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Record Number: 10234

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'On the penult of the year 1819 I reached the last line of the "Iliad". To speak of the merits of the Maeonian Bard from one perusal only may be deemed presumption - yet I may be allowed to say that my Enjoyment fell far short of Expectation. I found, & I am ashamed to say it, little to please and much to offend- The Morals of his Divinities are those of St Giles- their language that of Billingsgate or Wapping- His Nestors are garrulous beyond endurance...'

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

Between 1 Nov 1819 and 31 Dec 1819

Country:

Unknown

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Edinburgh

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:

Robert Mitchell

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

1795

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Unknown

Religion:

Unknown

Country of Origin:

Unknown

Country of Experience:

Unknown

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Homer

Title:

The Iliad

Genre:

Classics, Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: BookManuscript: Letter

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

10234

Source:

Print

Author:

Thomas Carlyle

Editor:

C. R. Sanders

Title:

The Collected Letters of Thomas and Jane Welsh Carlyle

Place of Publication:

Durham, North Carolina

Date of Publication:

1970

Vol:

1

Page:

232

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Thomas Carlyle, C. R. Sanders (ed.), The Collected Letters of Thomas and Jane Welsh Carlyle, (Durham, North Carolina, 1970), 1, p. 232, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=10234, accessed: 04 February 2026

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Additional Comments:

Taken from footnote to a letter from Thomas Carlyle to Robert Mitchell dated 18th March 1820, written at Edinburgh. Pages 231 - 234 in this edition. Footnote is exerpt from Mitchell's letter to Carlyle dated 13th January 1820. Date range of reading experience is estimate based on Mitchell's letter.