Record Number: 18303
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
'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
Date:Between 1 Oct 1811 and 31 Dec 1811
Country:England
Timen/a
Place:city: London
Type of Experience(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: Age:Adult (18-100+)
Gender:Male
Date of Birth:1781
Socio-Economic Group:Professional / academic / merchant / farmer
Occupation:archaeologist / antiquarian
Religion:n/a
Country of Origin:Scotland
Country of Experience:England
Listeners present if any:e.g family, servants, friends
n/a
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:Vision of Don Roderick , The
Genre:Poetry
Form of Text:Print: Book
Publication Detailsn/a
Provenanceunknown
Source Information:
Record ID:18303
Source:Lady Charlotte Bury
Editor:A. Francis Steuart
Title:Diary of a Lady-in-Waiting, The
Place of Publication:London
Date of Publication:1908
Vol:I
Page:68
Additional Comments:
n/a
Citation:
Lady Charlotte Bury, A. Francis Steuart (ed.), Diary of a Lady-in-Waiting, The, (London, 1908), I, p. 68, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=18303, accessed: 08 December 2024
Additional Comments:
It is rather ambiguous who this letter (included in Bury's journal) is from but it seems to be Sharpe. This seems the most likely Scott poem, given the date - it was published in 1811.