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the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 
 
 
 

Record Number: 21095


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'[from an account by Dr Maxwell, an Irish London-based priest friend of Johnson] He much commended Law's "Serious Call", which he said was the finest piece of hortatory theology in any language. "Law, (said he) fell latterly into the reveries of Jacob Behmen, whom Law alledged to have been somewhat in the same state with St. Paul, and to have seen [italics] unutterable things [end italics]. Were it even so, (said Johnson,) Jacob would have resembled St. Paul still more, by not attempting to utter them."'

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

Until: 31 Dec 1770

Country:

England

Time

morning

Place:

city: London

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Samuel Johnson

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

18 Sep 1709

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

writer

Religion:

Anglican

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

William Law

Title:

Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life

Genre:

Other religious

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

21095

Source:

Print

Author:

James Boswell

Editor:

R.C. Chapman

Title:

Life of Johnson

Place of Publication:

Oxford

Date of Publication:

1980

Vol:

n/a

Page:

440

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

James Boswell, R.C. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 440, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=21095, accessed: 28 March 2024


Additional Comments:

Originally published 1791.

   
   
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