SIR WALTER SCOTT IN DURHAM
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Description
In 1827 Sir Walter Scott was a guest of the Bishop of Durham at a dinner held in honour of the Duke of Wellington. The inscription seen here; is on the Prebends Bridge in Durham, behind it rising above the woods; Durham Castle and the Cathedral resting place of St.Cuthbert tower over the city. The quotation is from from Sir Walter Scott's "Harold The Dauntless", unhelpfully there appears to be no identification details to assist a curious by-passer! Perhaps this is in recognition that Scott published the work in a similarly anonymous style? The inscription reads: Grey towers of Durham Yet well I love thy mixed and massive piles Half Church of God, half castle 'gainst the Scot And long to roam these venerable aisles With records stored of deeds long since forgot. Harold The Dauntless was published in 1817 four years after Rokeby, his other long narrative poem set in the north-east of England. Scott's anonymous publication of Harold was undertaken because he feared his poetic powers were on the wane. Sales and critical comment confirmed his suspicion, as indeed I rather fancy this quotation demonstrates. Poor Sir Walter, still, poetry's loss was to become a real gain for fiction. Sir Walter Scott 1778 -1832. -
Owner
summonedbyfells -
Source
Flickr (Flickr) -
License
What does this mean? Attribution License
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Further information
Link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/8521690@N02/10572112175/
Resource type: Image
Added by: Pat Thomson
Last modified: 5 years, 2 months ago
Viewed: 2951 times
Picture Taken: 2013-10-29T17:34:12 -
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