Biographical Material

Illustrations for "The Great Fen"

With the excepton of Macbeth’s last two illustraions, his powerful drawings don’t harmonize or even have much to do with the article that include them. As the author, Samuel Miller, concludes, “The Great Fen” offers special interest to the historian, antiquary, archaeologist, naturalist, geologist, and engineer — an interest which a casual visitor cannot appreciate. It can boast of its poets and its heroes—poets — even living poets — of no mean order, and heroes who in the forefront of history. To speak of those only who belonged to the remote past — there were Harold whose earldom included the south fens, and Hereward the Wake, and Earl Waltheof. The last was beheaded by the Conquerorin 1076 and buried at Winchester” (816). It “offers special interest” about everything that doesn’t touch the lives of the dirt poor potato harvesters and other people upon whom Macbeth devotes such attention. — George P. Landow

Related Material including Victorian & Neo-Victorian Novels Set in the Fens

Work in Other Media

Bibliography

Miller, Samuel H. “The Great Fen.” English Illustrated Magazine. 2 (September 1885): 805-17. Hathi Trust online version of a copy in the Getty Institute. Web. 1 February 2021.


Last modified 3 February 2021