Record Number: 2390

---

Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'He continued in the Colledge for the space of nine years, and in all that time (except he went forth a Town to his friends) he was never absent from morning Prayers in the Chappel, which used to be about half an hour after five a clock in the morning; yea, he used to rise so long before he went to the Chappel, as that he gained time for his secret devotions, and for reading his morning task of the Scriptures: For he tyed himself to read every day fifteen Chapters in English out of the Bible, five in the morning, five after dinner before he fell upon his other studies, and five before he went to bed; he hath been often heard to say, that when he could not sleep in the night time he used in his thoughts to run through divers Chapters of the Scripture in order, as if he had heard them read to him; and by this means he deceived the tediousness of his waking, and deprived himself also sometimes of the sweetness of his sleeping hours, though by that, which administred to him better rest, and greater sweetness; for he preferred the meditation upon the word before his necessary food with Job, and before sleep with David.'

Century:

1500-1599, 1600-1699

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1595 and 31 Dec 1604

Country:

England

Time

morning: before 5:30am
evening: after dinner
night: after completing his other studies

Place:

city: Cambridge
specific address: King's College
location in dwelling: rooms in College

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

---

Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

William Gouge

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

1 Nov 1575

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

son of godly gentleman, and his mother the duaghter of a London merchant

Religion:

Protestant

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

---

Text Being Read:

Author:

Title:

Scriptures

Genre:

Bible

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

read in English

Provenance

unknown

---

Source Information:

Record ID:

2390

Source:

Print

Author:

Samuel Clarke

Editor:

n/a

Title:

A collection of the lives of ten eminent divines famous in their generations for learning, prudence, piety, and painfulness in the work of the ministry

Place of Publication:

n/a

Date of Publication:

1662

Vol:

n/a

Page:

[97-98]

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Samuel Clarke, A collection of the lives of ten eminent divines famous in their generations for learning, prudence, piety, and painfulness in the work of the ministry, (1662), p. [97-98], http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=2390, accessed: 09 May 2025

---

Additional Comments:

None