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

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 
 
 
 

Record Number: 26379


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'[At Halnaby, on honeymoon] she [Anne Isabella Milbanke] was reading Dryden's Don Sebastian, which treats of incest, and happened to ask Byron [husband] a question. He said angrily: "Where did you hear that?" '"I looked up and saw that he was holding over me the dagger which he usually wore. I replied, "Oh, only from this book." I was not afraid -- I was persuaded he only did it to terrify me. He put the dagger down and said (I am sure I say it without a feeling of vanity) "If anything could make me believe in heaven, it is the expression of your countenance at this moment."'

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1815 and 1 Mar 1815

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

county: Yorkshire
specific address: Halnaby Hall

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:

Anne Isabella Lady Byron

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

17 May 1792

Socio-Economic Group:

Royalty / aristocracy

Occupation:

n/a

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

n/a

Country of Experience:

England

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

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

John Dryden

Title:

Don Sebastian

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

26379

Source:

Print

Author:

Ethel Colburn Mayne

Editor:

n/a

Title:

The Life and Letters of Anne Isabella, Lady Noel Byron

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1929

Vol:

n/a

Page:

162

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Ethel Colburn Mayne, The Life and Letters of Anne Isabella, Lady Noel Byron, (London, 1929), p. 162, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=26379, accessed: 29 March 2024


Additional Comments:

Byron sensitive regarding topic of incest owing to his own relations with his half-sister Augusta Leigh.

   
   
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