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

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 
 
 
 

Record Number: 21930


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'JOHNSON. "O! Mr. Dilly-you must know that an English Benedictine Monk at Paris has translated "The Duke of Berwick's Memoirs", from the original French, and has sent them to me to sell. I offered them to Strahan, who sent them back with this answer:--"That the first book he had published was the Duke of Berwick's Life, by which he had lost: and he hated the name."--Now I honestly tell you, that Strahan has refused them; but I also honestly tell you, that he did it upon no principle, for he never looked into them". DILLY. "Are they well translated, Sir?" JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, very well--in a style very current and very clear".'

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

Until: 15 Apr 1778

Country:

England

Time

n/a

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:

James Fitzjames, 1st Duke of Berwick

Title:

Memoirs of the Marshall Duke of Berwick

Genre:

Autobiog / Diary

Form of Text:

Manuscript: Unknown

Publication Details

translated from the French by a Benedictine monk; published by T. Cadell 1779

Provenance

borrowed (other)
sent to Johnson to find a publisher


Source Information:

Record ID:

21930

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:

943

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 943, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=21930, accessed: 25 April 2024


Additional Comments:

Originally published 1791

   
   
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