SOURCE: Robertson, J. G. “Sophie von La Roche's visit to England in 1786.” The Modern Language Review 27, no. 2 (April 1932): 196-203.

In the following essay, Robertson provides an overview of Sophie von La Roche's travel writings, with specific attention to her perception of eighteenth century England and her 1788 publication Tagebuch einer Reise durch Holland und England.

In reading Mr P. S. Matheson's interesting Taylorian lecture of 1930 on German visitors to England between 1770 and 1795¹, which gives an account of the works on England by Moritz, Wendeborn, Archenholz and Lichtenberg, I have been reminded of another record of a stay in England—in some ways more interesting and illuminating than any of these—by a German lady of literary reputation. This is the Tagebuch einer Reise durch Holland und England by the ‘Verfasserin von Rosaliens Briefe,’ Sophie von La Roche. It appears to be quite unknown among us, and it has even...