Author
John Hobhouse
Title
Historical Illustrations of the Fourth Canto of Childe Harold: Containing Dissertations on the Ruins of Rome; and An Essay on Italian Literature
Published
London: John Murray, 1818
Location
945 FM2736
What is this book about?
This book is a commentary on Lord Byron’s famous poem Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage (1812-1818) – *the* bestseller of its time. Hobhouse was a friend of Byron’s, and travelled to Greece and Turkey with him. In the Historical Illustrations Hobhouse provides a context for Byron’s poem, with many accounts and anecdotes of Italy.
It also contains an ‘Essay on Italian Literature’, which contains a facsimile of handwriting:
Why does this book matter?
The Historical Illustrations matter because it provides the context to a much-loved work, and helps us understand ‘Childe Harold’ better. In and of itself it is valuable, too, and its short accounts, essays, anecdotes and dissertations transport us into the classical world of Italy. Sit down with this book, and travel to faraway places, all in the warmth and comfort of Inverness Library.
