Читать книгу A History of Solitude - David Vincent, Дэвид Винсент - Страница 9

The posthumous life of Solitude Considered travelled far from its origins. ‘Zimmerman on Solitude’ became a cultural object in its own right, largely independent of the full text.¹²³ During the course of the nineteenth century, it was treated as a shorthand for an uncritical endorsement of the subject. A young man or woman seeking to be considered serious and soulful would like to be seen with a copy as they walked in the countryside or found space for quiet reading at home. As with other literary successes, it enjoyed an existence in diverse recreational forms, including, in this case, horse racing. In March 1845, Mr Wesley’s three-year-old ‘Solitude by Zimmerman’ was entered for the Tally-Ho Stakes at the Northampton and Pytchley Hunt. It set off at a great pace, but at the first turn the horse bolted, leaving its rival, ‘D’Egville’, to build up a lead of three hundred yards.¹²⁴ Eventually the rider regained control of his steed. The newspaper report concluded: ‘Solitude, however, made up for lost time on coming up the flat, and was only beaten by about three lengths.’¹²⁵