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

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 

 
 
 

Record Number: 21566


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Oct. 25. Wednesday. I went with the Prior to St. Cloud, to see Dr. Hooke.�We walked round the palace, and had some talk.�I dined with our whole company at the Monastery.�In the library, "Beroald",�"Cymon",�"Titus", from Boccace.�"Oratio Proverbialis" to the Virgin, from Petrarch; Falkland to Sandys;�Dryden's Preface to the third vol. of Miscellanies.' [Boswell's footnote: 'He means, I suppose, that he read those different pieces, while he remained in the library'.]

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

25 Oct 1775

Country:

France

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Versailles
specific address: library at St Cloud

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:

France

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

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

John Dryden

Title:

[preface to his 'Poetical Miscellanies', vol. 3]

Genre:

Essays / Criticism

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

read in situ
in the library at St Cloud Monastery


Source Information:

Record ID:

21566

Source:

Print

Author:

James Boswell

Editor:

R.W. Chapman

Title:

Life of Johnson

Place of Publication:

Oxford

Date of Publication:

1980

Vol:

n/a

Page:

653-4

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 653-4, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=21566, accessed: 04 February 2026


Additional Comments:

Original date of publication 1791. Johnson was in France with the Thrales.