Pilkington, Laetitia (c. 1709-1750)

The Memoirs of Mrs. Laetitia Pilkington

Dublin

Printed for the Author

1748

"But the Dean did not know what sort of a Memory I had, when he entrusted me with his Verse: I had no occasion for any other copy, than what I had registered in the Book and Volume of my Brain."

But the Dean did not know what sort of a Memory I had, when he entrusted me with his Verse: I had no occasion for any other copy, than what I had registered in the Book and Volume of my Brain: I could repeat the whole Poem, and could not forbear delighting some particular Friends with a Rehearsal of it. This reach'd the Dean's Ear, who imagin'd I play'd him false, and sent for me to come to him. When I enter'd, he told me, I had broke my Word with him, and consequently, forfeited all the good Opinion he had ever conceiv'd of me. I look'd, as I think he generally made me do, like a Fool; I ask'd what I had done: He told me, I had copy'd his Poem, and shewn it round the Town, I assured him, I had not. He said, I lyed, and produced a poem something like it, published in London, and told me, from reading it about, that odd Burlesque on it had taken rise. He bade me read it aloud. I did so, and could not forbear laughing, as I plainly perceiv'd, tho' he had endeavoured to disguise his Stile, that the Dean had burlesqu'd himself; and made no manner of Scruple to tell him so. He pretended to be very angrily, ask'd me, did I ever know him to write Triplets? and told me, I had neither Taste nor Judgment, and knew no more of Poetry than a Horse. I told him I would confess it, provided he would, seriously give me his Word, he did not write that poem. He said, P—x take me for a Dunce. [...]
(vol. I, pp. 108-9)

Writing::Book Writing::Volume

Cited by Jacob Sider Jost, "“Body Writing: Laetitia Pilkington and Jonathan Swift,” ASECS Meeting in Vancouver, March 17, 2011.

See Memoirs: of Mrs. Lætitia Pilkington, Wife to the Rev. Mr. Matthew Pilkington. Written by Herself. Wherein Are Occasionally Interspersed, All Her Poems; With Anecdotes of Several Eminent Persons, Living and Dead. Among Others, Dean Swift, Alexander Pope ([London]: Dublin printed; London reprinted: and sold by R. Griffiths, and G. Woodfall, 1748). <Link to ECCO-TCP>

See also Laetitia Pilkington, The Memoirs of Mrs. Laetitia Pilkington, 2 vols. (Dublin: Printed for the Author, 1748). <Link to ECCO>

07/13/2011