Record Number: 18780

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'I have had such a pleasant morning perusing Lara to day that I cannot risist [sic] the impulse of writing to you and telling you so. The last Canto of it is much the best thing you ever wrote - there are many pictures in it which the heart of man can scarcely brook. It is besides more satisfactorily and better wind up [sic] than any of your former tales and the images rather more perceptible. You are constantly improving in this Your figures from the very first were strong without parallel but in every new touch of your pencil they are better and better relieved. In the first Canto there is haply too much painting of the same and too close on that so much dwelt on in the Corsair; Yet still as it excels the rest in harmony of numbers I am disposed to give it the preference to any of them [Hogg then advises Byron not to attempt writing drama] I have been extremely puzzled to find out who Sir Ezzelin is sometimes I have judged him to be some sea captain at others Medora's uncle or parent from whom the Corsair had stole her but I have at last pleased myself by concludoing thatg Lord Byron does not know himself - what a wretched poet Mr Rogers is You are truly very hardly set for great original poets in England at present when such as he must be extolled. I could not help smiling at his Jacqueline'.'I have had such a pleasant morning perusing Lara to day that I cannot risist [sic] the impulse of writing to you and telling you so. The last Canto of it is much the best thing you ever wrote - there are many pictures in it which the heart of man can scarcely brook. It is besides more satisfactorily and better wind up [sic] than any of your former tales and the images rather more perceptible. You are constantly improving in this Your figures from the very first were strong without parallel but in every new touch of your pencil they are better and better relieved. In the first Canto there is haply too much painting of the same and too close on that so much dwelt on in the Corsair; Yet still as it excels the rest in harmony of numbers I am disposed to give it the preference to any of them. [Hogg then advises Byron not to attempt writing drama] I have been extremely puzzled to find out who Sir Ezzelin is sometimes I have judged him to be some sea captain at others Medora's uncle or parent from whom the Corsair had stole her but I have at last pleased myself by concluding that Lord Byron does not know himself - what a wretched poet Mr Rogers is. You are truly very hardly set for great original poets in England at present when such as he must be extolled. I could not help smiling at his Jacqueline'.

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1812 and 14 Aug 1814

Country:

Scotland

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

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:

James Hogg

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

Nov 1770

Socio-Economic Group:

Labourer (agricultural)

Occupation:

shepherd and writer

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

Scotland

Country of Experience:

Scotland

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

George Gordon, Lord Byron

Title:

Corsair, The

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

18780

Source:

Print

Author:

James Hogg

Editor:

Gillian Hughes

Title:

Collected Letters of James Hogg, The

Place of Publication:

Edinburgh

Date of Publication:

2004

Vol:

I

Page:

194

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

James Hogg, Gillian Hughes (ed.), Collected Letters of James Hogg, The, (Edinburgh, 2004), I, p. 194, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=18780, accessed: 22 November 2024

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Additional Comments:

Letter to Lord Byron. Sir Ezzelin is a character in Lara.